Synthesis
by HelloThereBeautiful
Summary: He is called into work at an ungodly hour. Orochimaru has escped from prison. But this time, the man has his trump card and unfortunately for Uchiha Itachi and his family, Orochimaru is not afraid to use it. AU. Modern. Police Drama.
1. The Photograph

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

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><p><strong>Title:<strong> Synthesis

**Author:**Absolute. Tranquillity.

**Pairings:** ItaSaku

**Genre: **Family/Crime

**Word count: **7009**  
><strong>

**Rating:** M

**Notes: **So here it is, finally. Please leave some feedback, even if it's only a question!  
>If you haven't read the prequel for this, it isn't necessary but I would recommend doing so.<p>

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><p><strong>Synthesis<br>Chapter One  
><strong>

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><p>The heavy rain beating off the car roof did nothing to ease Itachi's headache. He knew he should have stopped drinking after Kakashi's call last night but he just didn't want to. Besides, he wasn't sure if the liquor had done this to him or if it was just the though of Orochimaru loose on Japan once more. What he was sure of, however, was that the throbbing in his left temple was not easing off; regardless of what it said on the back of the aspirin box this morning.<p>

He decided to stay in the parking lot a few more minutes; didn't think Deidara's shouting and the Hidan's cussing would do him much good. Itachi gripped the wheel tighter, closing his eyes. He tried to relax his labored breathing. But then he heard it, Deidara's shrill shouting, even thought he was almost twenty meters away, inside a car and with rain beating off the ground. He opened his eyes to see the blonde man staring at him and waving.

He groaned loudly before taking his keys and leaving the car. Within seconds Itachi was inside the police building, he pushed past Deidara without so much as a _'hello'. _The younger man looked confused for a moment. He knew Itachi was under a lot of stress lately but he had never been so harsh before. "Itachi," Deidara called after him. "Superintendent wants to see you in his office before we get started." Deidara didn't wait for a reply before turning and disappearing down the opposite hallway.

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><p>Itachi rapped his knuckles on the door gently. "Enter," he heard Ibiki shouting. When he stepped inside he saw both Kakashi and Shisui, his cousin, sitting on the small sofa against the far wall. He narrowed his eyes slightly; it was unusual that all of them be gathered in one office. It usually meant something big was happening. But then, Orochimaru vanishing from a secure facility certainly qualified as 'something big'.<p>

"You wanted to see me, sir?"

"Itachi, please come in." He gestured to a chair in front of him. "I need to speak to you before we start this case." Itachi was intrigued. Ibiki did not _need _to speak to anyone before a case, he was Superintendent General after all. Ibiki sat staring at Itachi for a few moments, as if calculating whether or not to proceed. After a few moments he did just that. He leaned forward on his chair and grabbed a small file from the edge of the large desk. He pulled a document out and handed it to Itachi. "Do you recognize this man?" he asked quietly.

Itachi stared at Ibiki for a few moments. He didn't understand how this had anything to do with the man who had threatened his family eight years prior. He snatched the file from Ibiki's grasp, wanting to move on to the Orochimaru case as soon as possible. His eyes scanned the paper for a few moments. It was a sketch of a man that a police sketch-artist had produced. He had long black hair, and deep-set eyes. "I don't recognize him," he almost shouted, his voice angry.

Ibiki's eyes flew to his, they were softer than they had been before. For a moment, Itachi thought he could see pity in his small eyes. Ibiki went back to the manilla folder in his hands and pulled out yet another document. Itachi could see it was a photograph this time. "You have seen him before," Ibiki spoke softly now. Itachi took the photograph, instantly recognizing it. "This is..."

"The photo handed in by Kenchi Haruno eight years ago," Ibiki finished for him. Itachi quickly raised the sketch up to rest beside the sketch in his other hand.

"And this sketch depicts the man to the right of Orochimaru," Itachi whispered to himself. "Do we know who he is?"

Ibiki's small smile fell and his face dropped in defeat. "No..."

"Well," Ibiki began, "Kakashi can explain better." He moved his head to look at Kakashi, who was still sitting on the sofa. He stood up quickly however and walked over to Itachi, before sitting on the side of Ibiki's desk.

"Well you know I got promoted, right?" Kakashi asked. Itachi merely nodded, his eyes still on the photograph. "That means, I now get paid twice as much for an extra month worth of work," he smiled, his eyes creasing into two small lines.

Itachi raised his head, his perfectly shaped eyebrows raising as well. He tilted his head to the side, questioning Kakashi.

"I train new recruits in profiling once a year," he explained.

"We don't have all day, Kakashi," Shisui shouted from the sofa.

"I was getting to it, man!" he called back. "Anyway, a couple of weeks ago I had a training session with one of the groups. In these sessions we take stale cases and give them to the recruits and see if they can work out a profile. A random case is selected by computer, and before this session, Case TO401-67 was chosen," Kakashi finished with a deep breath. "Inside, I found that beauty. Unlike you, I recognize him instantly."

"It' the same guy, isn't it, Itachi?" Shisui asked.

Itachi stared at the two documents for a moment longer. The similarities were uncanny. He sighed, "It could be."

"Don't forget, this sketch was drawn based on a description given by a scared and confused young woman." Kakashi added.

"I doubt that young woman forgot the face of the man that drugged her and stabbed her seven times." Ibiki muttered, walking back to his chair. Kakashi gave a small apology before going back to the sofa.

"Sir, we do not know anything about this man. And I fail to see how this has anything to do with the current case at hand." Itachi spoke again, raising his eyes to Ibiki's.

"Orochimaru knows this man..." Ibiki trailed off, letting Itachi connect the rest himself. Itachi stared at him for a moment, his eyes narrowing. He did not believe what the Superintendent General was suggesting. He sighed aloud, turning his head to his side.

"You think Orochimaru will lead you to this man." Itachi finally said. Ibiki simply nodded at him. "Do you know how dangerous that is?"

"Itachi, Kabuto could have been bluffing that night. We don't know for sure that Orochimaru knows anything about you," Shisui patted his cousin's elbow.

"He had my personal file from headquarters." Itachi started. "And I sent Orochimaru to serve life imprisonment." His eyes narrowed dangerously and his gaze was directly on Shisui. "I doubt he was bluffing."

"Itachi, it won't-"

"I have to think of my son, Shisui," Itachi shouted throwing the papers onto Ibiki's desk.

"Itachi, calm down." Ibiki's voice rose in anger. He could understand Itachi was afraid for his child's safety, but his recent erratic behavior was not going unnoticed. "This man is, without a doubt, the greatest serial killer Japan has ever seen. He has killed over one hundred women and has never been caught. I don't care what we have to do, Itachi, but now that we have this lead, I'm not letting it pass me by."

Itachi couldn't answer, if he tried to argue, Ibiki would have him off the case faster than he could say boo. "Kakashi, Shisui, go to the conference room. The team is waiting there. Agent Uchiha _will _be there shortly," Ibiki said bluntly. His eyes dared them to protest. They nodded quickly and both men left the office. Ibiki rose from his seat, he went to the water cooler behind him before placing a glass in front of Itachi. He was grateful but he didn't show it, his left temple practically pounded now. Instinctively, he raised a hand over it to try ease the pressure.

"What's going on with you, Uchiha? You've been... different the last couple of months. Definitely not your best."

"Is my work unsatisfactory?" Itachi said in a sarcastic tone.

Ibiki gave him a stern look and crossed his arms. "I'm going to be honest with you. I'm nearing retirement age, Uchiha. The department want me to make a recommendation on who should take my position when I leave next year." Itachi raised his eyes to meet Ibiki's. "I took this position after your dear father was resigned to his deathbed. But I promised him that one day I would hand it over to you."

Itachi's eyes widened slightly, "Sir, I don't-"

"Don't say anything. Right now it's between you and Shisui, and lately he seems like the better candidate. So you better pull your act together. I'm giving you a chance to redeem yourself; you're taking the lead on this case, take Shisui as your second. I want both of these bastards locked up as soon as possible."

Itachi nodded quickly before retreating from the office.

"Don't make me go back on my promise, Itachi," he heard Ibiki shout after him.

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><p>When Itachi entered the conference room, he was slightly taken aback. Kakashi wasn't lying when he said a whole department had been rerouted. Itachi could tell there was about fifteen people seated around the conference table. They didn't seem to notice him come in; the amount of noise a group of special agents made was slightly unnerving. Shisui was beside the door, leaning against the wall. He nodded when Itachi shut the door behind him. "He gave us some pretty great operatives," Shisui whispered to him. "Shikamaru and Ino Nara, and Shizune, that chick from forensics." Itachi nodded. He vaguely remembered Shizune's name and Shikmaru he knew as Ino's husband. Ino had become well-known to Itachi over the years. She worked with him on the original Orochimaru case. Also, she used to be a regular at the Uchiha household, being Sakura's best and most-trusted friend.<p>

Itachi groaned inwardly, mentally reproaching himself. He had been in the process of displacing all thoughts of his former lover and wife for the past few weeks. And it wasn't as difficult as he had been told it would be. Sure, when it rained -like that morning- it was her scent that played on his senses. When he returned home after a good day at work, he would _almost _forget himself and envision her to be waiting, with a kiss and loving embrace. And then of course at night, as he tried to drift into an uneasy sleep, he was confident that it was her sweet, reassuring, inescapable voice that plagued him.

He sighed again. It really _was _as difficult as the guys in the office had told him it would be. "Where's Kakashi?" he asked quietly, trying to reconnect with the task at hand.

Shisui pointed upwards, "working on another case. He'll be back when they finish." Itachi nodded at him once more. "So how are you going to work this?"

"I have no idea," Itachi mumbled, more to himself than to Shisui. He stepped towards the conference table, taking his seat. Shisui soon joined him. The agents quietened down then and someone towards the back congratulated him on getting the lead on the case. He scribbled on a notepad in front of him for a few moments before he frowned. He looked up then, facing the team of agents in front of him. "Forgive me, but I don't know anything substantial about CaseTO401-67." He turned slightly to his older cousin beside him, "So for that reason, we will divide into two teams. I will operate team one and concentrate on Orochimaru's whereabouts. Shisui will lead team two, and investigate this serial-killer."

"Any objections?" Shisui asked, looking from agent to agent. "Good."

"Kisame, Ino and Shikamaru, you three stay here with me. We will comprise team one. The rest of you, head across the hall to conference room C, where you will form team two." Itachi spoke quickly, still writing on the notepad. The agents didn't hang around. As soon as the order was given, they filed out of the room.

"Why only four of us?" Kisame asked quietly.

"We know everything about the Orochimaru case. Having to explain this case to others would waste time that we cannot afford," Itachi stated simply.

"Eh, I don't," Shikamaru cut in.

Itachi nodded his head, raising his hands up to rest his chin on, "I need your interrogation skills."

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow. "Who am I interrogating?"

Itachi sighed before he spoke, rubbing his temples with his index fingers. "Kenchi Haruno. Ibiki thinks he may know more than he alludes to."

The three agents were silent for a moment. They knew exactly who Kenchi Haruno was. "What will Sakura say when she finds out you're interviewing her father?" Ino asked quietly.

Itachi's eyes narrowed. "It doesn't matter what she says. Ibiki wants him investigated." Ino rolled her eyes before they returned to stare at the page in front of her.

"Shall, we get started?" Kisame cut in again, hoping to avoid the argument brewing between Itachi and Ino.

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><p>Kisame snapped his cellphone shut. "That was Ibiki, he's coming down here. He wants a full report on everything we've done today." Itachi groaned loudly, rubbing his forehead. It had been a long day. He hadn't left the conference room since the meeting this morning. Even while the others left for a short lunch, he had stayed. He wanted this over with as fast as humanly possible, and if that meant working through lunch, then so be it.<p>

"Okay. Get everyone in here," Itachi ground out. Kisame left his seat and headed out the door without saying a word. They all knew better than to annoy Itachi when he was in these moods. Shikamaru left as well, when he received a call about Kenchi Haruno waiting in the lobby.

Ino fidgeted nervously, it'd been awhile since she had worked with Itachi. Of course, the fact that her best friend, Sakura, hadn't a good word to say about him lately only served to make her feel more awkward.

"It looks as though, this will be another weekend I won't see Koichi," he muttered quietly. Ino's eyes softened. She felt bad for the man. His job didn't make it easy for him to spend a lot of time with his family, and now that he and Sakura had separated, it made it all the more difficult for him to see the boy.

"He'll understand," she said quietly tying to smile at him. Itachi only nodded gently. He knew Koichi would understand. It was his wife who wouldn't be happy. But then, was Sakura happy with anything concerning him lately? He took a deep breath, standing to walk to the whiteboard behind him. "Itachi, are you alright?" she called after him. For a moment he didn't move, simply stood in that same spot, as if he was frozen. But when he did turn to face, Ino could see fine lines of exhaustion on his face. For a moment Itachi wondered if he should tell how he had been feeling recently. About his constant migraine and bouts of insomnia. But when Ibiki and the rest of the team burst in, he decided against it.

"I'll go first," Shisui whispered to him, as everyone took their seats. Itachi noticed Sasuke enter the conference room and take a seat at the back. He nodded his head as way of greeting, but Sasuke either flat-out ignored him or just didn't see him.

"Alright, between 1975 and 1982 Japan was terrorized by a serial-killer. He was never apprehended but committed some of the most heinous acts ever seen in this country." Shisui raised a remote to the screen behind him. Several pictures of young woman with their chests ripped open flashed onto the screen.

"This man would kidnap young, red-haired women. They were all aged from mid-twenties to early-thirties. These two facts lead us to believe the women represented someone for this guy. He wasn't interested in fame and he wasn't taunting police. He committed these murders because of his hatred for a young red-haired woman in his life." Shisui stopped to take a breath.

"Now, the M.O is strange. The victims all had traces of Temazepam in their blood, but only small amounts. The cause of death to each woman was multiple stabs wounds to the chest and abdomen. The average was forty-four stab wounds per victim. The fact that he had to subdue his victims makes no sense when we look at the brutal stab wounds. A guy with enough strength to stab someone forty times should have been able to control the small women in these photographs."

Shisui pressed some buttons on the remote again and another image flashed up. "This is Haruki Suzamaru. This woman was killed in 1975, one of the first bodies found. She was stabbed a total of seventy-eight times." Shisui paused when he heard a few gasps from the crowd in front of him. "This makes us believe she was either the first victim or the object of his rage."

Itachi was glad they were all listening so intently, as his headache was starting to worsen. He'd need their attentiveness later. He tried his best to concentrate on Shisui's words but the lack of sleep, coupled with his recent promotion to lead operative, had left his head in a mess. He was worried for his family's safety and all he wanted was to get this meeting over with and go see his son.

"Itachi?"

"Sorry, Shisui. I'm listening."

Shisui gave him a worried glance but he continued with his briefing. "As I was saying, this man was never apprehended. One day he simply vanished."

"How do we know he isn't dead?" Shikamaru shouted over.

"Because this photograph," he pressed some more buttons on the remote and the photograph from Syria was projected onto the screen, " was taken ten years after the final body was found." Shisui replied calmly. He had already suggested the theory of a dead suspect to Ibiki before he was shot down.

"Any survivors?" Neji called over.

"There was, actually." Shisui nodded. "Just one. Her name is Akiyo Suzamia. When our suspect tried to inject her with the drug, he missed. She used the opportunity to claw at his face before making an escape. But of course, when police went to the building where she was kept captive, it was completely empty."

"Why do you think he stopped killing then, if he didn't die?" someone called from the back.

Sasuke finally spoke up, interrupting the person who had just asked a question. "What if he simply changed his M.O.?"

"Eh... we're not sure why he stopped. And Sasuke, Itachi and I both agree that it wasn't something he, himself changed, as opposed to changes he went though." Shisui replied.

"Like?" Sasuke asked again.

"Well, something that would prevented him from moving at the pace he was used to. Like disease or disability." He nodded, looking at the other agents, ready to field more questions. Shisui turned to the whiteboard behind him where he started to write a summary of everything he had just said. "Any other questions?" he called as he turned back around.

"How do we find him?" Kisame spoke up.

Shisui sighed again, speaking in a low voice. "Most of you probably know, but we received confirmation last night that Orochimaru disappeared from a secure facility on the west coast. We believe this man has connections to Orochimaru-"

"You're basing this on a photograph taken over twenty years ago?" Shikamaru rolled his eyes, his words dripping with sarcasm.

"We believe this man had a hand in Orochimaru's escape," Shisui replied simply. "Witnesses reported a suspicious vehicle around the area in the past month. They never saw the man up close, but they say he had black hair, just like this man" Shisui was sure he heard Shikamaru snort.

"Who's the other man in the photograph. Shouldn't we be looking at him?"

Shisui froze. His eyes went to Itachi, unsure of what to say. "His name is Kenchi Haruno," he said shakily.

Itachi's eyes rose to the group when he heard someone whispering, "Isn't that Sakura's last name?"

"He is being questioned this evening," Shisui replied quietly.

"Actually, I should be getting to that interview now," Shikamaru said, rising from his seat.

Ibiki gave the detective a small nod, turning his attention back to the Uchiha in front of him. "Good work, Shisui." He then turned to face Itachi, "Now what about Orochimaru?"

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><p>Itachi sat at his desk, his head resting in his hands. It had been a long day and right now, all he wanted was to go home and sleep for a few days. But with this particular case, he doubted if he'd be sleeping anytime soon. He sighed and squeezed his eyes tight for a moment. That throbbing in his head hadn't eased all day, and as displeased as he was to have to visit a doctor, he knew it would have to be checked. Soon. He regained his composure, pulling a folder from the stack on his desk. He glanced at the clock in front of him, briefly. It was almost eight in the evening. Certainly well past finishing time. When he had returned from France last night, he didn't expected to be dragged in the next morning to work on another case, let alone work till this late hour.<p>

He heard a small knock on the door and looked up to see Kisame standing in the doorway. "Can I come in?" he asked quietly, looking, almost, afraid to disturb the silence in Itachi's small office. Itachi nodded towards a chair in front of him, pinching the bridge of his nose. "How did the meeting with the French go?" he ventured, looking around the room. It was obviously not what he was there to talk about.

Itachi sighed heavily, recalling the previous week of meetings he had endured. "It was fine. Tedious, but satisfactory."

Kisame chuckled at his response. He shifted around in the small chair for a moment. He couldn't seem to get comfortable. When Itachi threw him a raised-eyebrow glare, Kisame stopped squirming, instead deciding to rest his legs on Itachi's desk. "Better?" Itachi asked in an amused tone.

"Much," he grinned sheepishly. "So how have things been since I left?" Itachi gave him a harsh glare. Now that he thought about it, it had been nearly two months since he'd seen the man he called his best friend. Kisame hadn't said where he was going, but Itachi knew it was official business. If his disappearance had nothing to do with the TMPD, he _would _have told his friend about his trip.

Itachi sighed deeply, running a hand into ebony locks. How had things been? Arguments. Separation. Migraines. Insomnia. "Things have been...fine," Itachi said quietly, quickly, his eyes set on the page in front of him. Kisame's eyes narrowed, and his mouth opened slightly.

"How's Koichi?" he ventured. Itachi, again, gave the '_fine'_ reply. "And Sakura?" Kisame saw him tense at the mention of his wife's name. _So Shisui was right, _he thought to himself. Kisame's eyes softened now and they settled on Itachi, a flash of pity evident in them.

"She's fine," Itachi mumbled softly.

"That's not what I heard," Kisame said evenly. His eyes now wandering around the dark office. Just why were the lights off? Itachi looked up from his desk to glare at Kisame.

"What do you mean?"

Kisame sighed heavily. He removed his legs from the desk and sat up in the chair once more. His eyes went back to Itachi's. They stared at each for a moment, before Kisame spoke again. "What happened?" he asked quietly.

Itachi continued to stare at Kisame. He knew that the older man was waiting for an explanation as to why Sakura had left, but Itachi couldn't give him one. Because, honestly, he was never given one himself. Not counting the evening he returned home to find Sakura packing her belongings, Itachi had seen her only once. And that was a very brief meeting, as he picked his son up at the front door of her new apartment. That was well over three weeks ago. He had been so busy, _so angry, _those past few weeks, he hadn't asked her any questions.

"Itachi?" Kisame called.

"I came home one evening two months ago, to find her packing both her and Koichi's belongings," he said suddenly, almost cutting Kisame off. "I was... confused, angry even, but I wasn't surprised."

Kisame's eyes widened at the statement. He opened his mouth to say something but Itachi cut him off.

"We had been arguing a lot in recent months," he offered blankly. "About trivial matters at first, escalating swiftly into full-blown clashes. Towards the end we barely spoke to one-another. I stayed in my office as much as possible, just to avoid quarrels. It sounds foolish, but," he sighed deeply, trying to find the words, "we grew apart."

Kisame looked lost for words. He closed his mouth, and sat back in his seat properly. "I had no idea you guys were having problems."

"She said she was 'sick and tired of pretending'," Itachi let out a small laugh, closing his eyes and rubbing a hand over his forehead. "Do you know it feels to have your wife stand in front of you and tell you she is tired of pretending to be happy with you?"

"I can imagine," Kisame whispers softly. He watched Itachi for a moment longer. Itachi's constant blinking and the way he kept rubbing his forehead did not go unnoticed to Kisame. His gaze intensified when he saw Itachi squinting at the page before him. "What's wrong with your eyes?" Kisame asked bluntly.

"Nothing," Itachi replied, a bit too fast for Kisame's liking.

"Itachi, I've been watching you struggle to concentrate all day. Now, tell me what's wrong."

Itachi looked up from his work and Kisame could see the pain in his eyes when he did so. Itachi wondered for a moment if he should tell Kisame about his perpetual headaches. He did; he told him everything. Kisame shook his head as Itachi rattled off his symptoms. He looked angrily at Itachi, as the younger man described the constant ache in the front of his head. After a moment, Kisame stood from his seat. "Come on," he said sharply, nodding towards the door.

Itachi looked at him strangely. "Where?" he asked, confused.

"I'm taking you to the hospital," Kisame said simply. Itachi opened his mouth to protest, but Kisame cut him off. "Get up," he almost shouted this time. "You're a great friend of mine, Itachi, and I'm not going let you sit here till an ungodly hour, working until you kill yourself. Now get up."

Itachi blinked in amusement for a second before he stood and walked to the office door. Kisame waited till he had left the room to breath a heavy sigh of relief. Itachi may have been his friend but he was still his superior. Kisame would be glad if he made it home unscathed tonight.

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><p>Sakura hummed a small tune to herself, as she signed her name on a couple of forms on her desk. Even though it was almost nine in the evening -over four hours past her usual finishing time- the warm cup of coffee in her hand was enough to put her in good spirits. She picked up the papers and walked over to the filing cabinet to store them safely for tomorrow. Her humming subsided when she heard a soft knock on her door. She turned slowly and was greeted by a familiar face. "Neji," she breathed quietly, giving a soft smile.<p>

"Good evening, Sakura. You're here late," he stated simply, a hint of mocking in his voice.

Sakura's small smile grew into a grin and she laughed loudly, "You know me so well." Truthfully, she wasn't here late at all. Although her contract stated her finishing hour was five o'clocl, it was much later in the evening again she made it home each night. "So, what can I do for you?" she asked, still smiling.

"Nothing, nothing. I was just passing by and thought I'd stop by," he spoke slowly, his hand scratching the back of his scalp. Neji then let out a small, nervous laugh. He knew he wasn't fooling anyone. Sakura nodded simply and walked back to her desk to pick up her coffee.

"Actually," he called after her suddenly, "That was a lie." A single, pink eyebrow rose in curiosity, and Sakura raised the coffee cup to her lips. "I wasn't just passing by. I was actually stuck in traffic for an hour, just to get here." Neji took a deep breath before continuing. "I was wondering if you wanted to go out, sometime. On a date, I mean." he added quickly.

Sakura was gobsmacked. She giggled quietly, as for a moment she wasn't sure if she'd heard him properly. But the nervous look on his face told her she had, indeed, heard him correctly. Her eyes left his and went to the floor, unsure of how to answer. "Neji, I-"

His gaze fell to the floor as well, when he heard begin to let him down gently. "I'm sorry, Sakura," he cut her off. "I shouldn't have asked. It would be inappropriate given that I work with Itachi" Sakura didn't say anything, she simply smiled and nodded sheepishly.

"I'm very sorry," he offered again, softly.

Sakura's eyes softened and she put the cup back on her desk. She took a look at Neji. He was a nice guy; she had known him a while. They weren't exactly close but they had friends in common and had met at quite a few dinner parties. She knew he was a cop, and worked with her estranged husband. But other than that, she didn't really know him. And then she felt herself changing her mind. He was a good-looking guy, hard-working, decent. Why shouldn't she accept an invitation for a date with this man?

_Itachi is why, _she reminded herself. She had yet to work something out with him so that they could, _at least,_ get along, for the sake of their son. But Itachi wasn't in front of her. Neji was, and he was asking to spend more time with her. But he was also exiting her office, while she wrestled with her thoughts.

"Neji," she called after him. Her mind was clear. She refused to think about the past five months of her life when she spoke to him again. "I would like to go out with you sometime." her smile appeared once again when she saw his eyes widen.

* * *

><p>Kisame paced the small hospital ward as Itachi drummed his long fingers off the table beside the bed. They had been waiting for nearly an hour now. Itachi knew that in a hospital, it could be hours before you were seen, but it's not like he wanted to be there. He was only here to shut Kisame up. He knew he shouldn't complain. The edge of the hospital bed was quite comfy, and the ward was the quietest place he been in a while; it made it easier to deal with the pressure between his temples.<p>

"I'm gonna go see if I can find a doctor," Kisame muttered, walking out of the room.

He wandered down the long hallway, but all he found were nurses and cleaners. He stopped for a moment, deciding to turn back. But then he heard it. A sound that was definitely Sakura. Her laugh to be exact. He turned around, following the sound until he came to a small row of doors, offices. He found one that had Sakura's name on the door. He knocked quietly before entering. Sakura opened it, and smiled when she saw him.

"Kisame," she chirped.

"Good evening," he replied, eying Neji who was standing behind her. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything." Sakura's smile faded when she realized what he was implying. A frown took it's place.

"Not at all," she said softly, turning to face Neji.

"I'll call you later," he said, walking to the door beside her. "Good night." he smiled once more. Sakura's attention turned back to Kisame when Neji had left.

"What can I help you with, Kisame?" she all but snapped at him. He eyed her furiously, slightly shocked to see Neji and her so close.

"What was Neji doing here?" he asked quietly, in that gruff tone of his. Sakura glare furiously at him. He may have been a close friend of her husbands but she wasn't going to let him interrogate her. Kisame knew she wasn't going to answer his question. He knew it by the way she was glaring at him, anger, literally, seeping from her.

"I need a doctor," he stated plainly, "for Itachi." Sakura's eyes flew to his, her frown disappearing. "He's not feeling too great, and no doctor seems to be coming to see him."

"Only emergency doctors are on this floor this late-"

"Can't you see him?" he asked then, interrupting her. She flashed him another glare.

"You know I can't."

"Why not? You're _separated, _right?" he added quickly. Sakura shook her head, biting her lip. Kisame could tell she was pissed, but he didn't really care. Sakura walked back to her desk, grabbing a notepad and pen.

"Lead the way," she mumbled walking out of the office.

* * *

><p>Itachi looked up when the doors burst open. Kisame grinned at him and winked as he walked back to the bed. "Found you a doctor."<p>

Itachi looked behind the, _much taller _man, to see Sakura walking through the doors. His eyes went back to Kisame to glare harshly at the blue man. "Kisame..." he muttered under his breath.

"So, what is it?" she asked in a bored tone, coming to stand beside him. Itachi stared up at her for a brief moment. It had been weeks since he had seen her. But those three weeks of hating her seemed to melt away when she stood less than two feet away from him. That scent that was _absolutely her_, assaulted his senses, and listening to her voice, he knew he would get no sleep that night.

Her eyes left the notepad in her hand and settled on his. She raised an eyebrow, silently telling him to speak. He shook his thoughts off and rattled off his symptoms. _Headaches, nausea, insomnia. _"Like a migraine?" he asked softly. His eyes rose to hers again.

"Yes," he nodded.

"And how long have you had these symptoms?" she mumbled as she wrote on her pad.

"A couple of months," he stated simply. Her eyes flew to his then and the harsh glare she had been wearing dissipated. Sakura didn't know how he could keep this from her. He had been feeling ill before they split, but he never said a word. She was a doctor for crying-out-loud, surely he would get over their feud to share something like this with her. But apparently not. She went back to her pen and paper and scribbled furiously.

"It's stress," she stated simply. "I'll prescribe you painkillers for now, but I'd like to get a Head CT just to make sure."

"I have painkillers," he murmured.

"These are stronger than over-the-counter meds," she replied quickly. He nodded then, taking the prescription from her. "I'll order that CT," she said quietly, walking back to the door. "You should take some time off work. Relaxation is the real cure for stress."

"The pain-killers will have to do." he called softly, standing from the edge of the bed.

Sakura looked annoyed once more, she shook her head in disbelief. Even when it was medically advised, Itachi refused to take time off work. "Well, what would I know? I'm just a doctor," she spoke darkly, her voice louder than normal. The door slammed behind her when she left.

Itachi heard Kisame sigh behind him. "That was it?"

"Let's go," Itachi called, walking towards the door.

"Your first proper interaction with Sakura since she left, and that was it? How do you expect to get her back when you tear strips from each other like that?"

Itachi stopped in his tracks. He fingered the prescription she had written only moments ago. "I don't," he mumbled walking out into the hallway.

* * *

><p>They were in Itachi's office once more. Not only had Itachi refused to take time off work, but he flat-out refused to go home when they left the hospital. Instead, he was at his desk, piling through sources to find Orochimaru. He was in this city somewhere, and Itachi was going to find him, and personally drag him back to the west coast prison.<p>

"Itachi, you have to slow down. Washing pain-killers down with coffee isn't healthy." Kisame spoke quietly, the tone of worry evident in his voice.

"I need to find him, Kisame. You were in that car with Yakushi that night, you heard what he said."

"I know, Itachi." he said simply. As much as Kisame hated to admit it, he knew Itachi and his family were in danger as long as Orochimaru was free.

"I just-" - "I need to make sure Koichi is safe." he spoke quietly now, more controlled.

"He'll be fine, Itachi." Kisame spoke with more force now. "I promise."

Itachi nodded, taking a deep breath. "I suppose I should go home and get some rest." Kisame grinned at him and stood up. They both exited the office; Itachi switching the lights off before he left.

The two, exhausted, men walked through the lobby. Kisame tried to crack a joke, but Itachi was too tired to listen. He gave a small smirk and hoped Kisame didn't mind his ignorance.

"Itachi," he heard someone call from across the lobby. He turned around to see his father-in-law walking toward him.

"Kenchi," he breathed. Itachi told Kisame to go on ahead, before walking to Kenchi.

"You've been interviews, I presume-"

"You need to be careful, Itachi" Kenchi whispered, interrupting him. "I sent that photograph in all those years ago, in the hopes of justice for those murdered women. But if he finds out... Sakura, Koichi." Kenchi's expression had changed to one of absolute terror.

"Kenchi, I know you are worried, but I assure you, I'm doing everything within my power to end this as fast as possible."

Kenchi continued to stare at Itachi, but the terrified look never left his face. He nodded then, his face regaining some colour. Kenchi moved to walk by Itachi, but stopped before he passed him. "This won't end well, Itachi," he whispered.

Itachi's eyes closed. He tried to settle the nauseous feeling rising in his stomach. But he couldn't. Because somewhere, deep down in his gut, he knew Kenchi Haruno was right. And that terrified him.

* * *

><p><strong>End of Chapter<strong>.

* * *

><p>Thank you very much for your time!<br>Review?

All my love!


	2. The Date

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

* * *

><p><strong>Title:<strong> Synthesis

**Author:** Absolute. Tranquillity

**Pairings:** ItaSaku

**Genre: **Family/Crime

**Word count: **5002**  
><strong>

**Rating:** M

**Notes: **I can't believe how mad you guys are at Sakura! It was hilarious to read some of the messages I got. Hopefully your opinions on Sakura will change soon.

One other small thing, I tried to reply to each reviewer personally, but FanFiction refused to cooperate. Apparently, you are all "no longer active members." Hopefully, it'll be sorted out soon and I can speak to all you lovely people.

* * *

><p><strong>Synthesis<br>Chapter Two  
><strong>

* * *

><p>The cool autumn breeze made tiny pimples appear on Sakura's skin. Instinctively, she rubbed her arms to warm the chilled flesh. The school yard was unusually quiet, the only sound to be heard was that of parents chatting to one another. She waved shyly to a parent across the yard who had called her name. She knew her son was in the same class as the woman's daughter. <em>Annia, <em>she recalled, was the girls name. She had invited Koichi over to play but Sakura flat-out refused, given that they'd only met five day ago, on the first day of school. Sakura knew she was over-protective of her son, but with her husbands position in the police department, she couldn't afford to be too liberal.

After another few minutes of awkward silence, the school bell rang, and a wave of children appeared out of nowhere. Sakura couldn't help the delighted smile spreading on her face when she saw her young son running towards her, as fast as his little legs could carry him. His thick black hair was tousled and his big, green eyes shone. "Mom," he squealed in joy. He jumped right into her arms and Sakura rested him on her hip.

"Hi baby," he whispered, kissing his forehead. "Did you have a good day?"

He nodded his head so fast Sakura had to stop him from moving, in fear he would hurt himself. "The best day! I got to play with the sand and then, Mrs Uzumaki read us stories all day."

"All day?" Sakura repeated with pure joy. Koichi nodded his little head again, a huge smile on his face. Sakura continued talking to the young boy as she left the school yard and walked to her car, parked on the main street. He recounted his entire day, even mentioning lunchtime and an unfortunate incident involving the class spider.

"Mrs Uzumaki says we can have a funeral for him on Monday," he said as Sakura strapped him in the back of the car. He really hadn't stopped talking since she picked him up. He loved school, even though he'd only had five days of experience. He was a little young at only four years old, but he was a clever boy. Sakura hadn't wanted to send him but sitting at home with a nanny wasn't much good for a child like Koichi. Sakura kissed the, still talking, young boy on the forehead, smiling at him as he spoke. He finally stopped yapping and looked up at her, "What's wrong, mommy?"

"Nothing," she smiled again, "I just missed you." She really wasn't lying. Dropping him to school, hurt her each and every morning. When she'd left him in school on Monday morning, she returned to her car and cried. Thankfully, she was over the emotion of it now, but her first-born starting school was a big step for her.

"I missed you too," he laughed. Sakura shut the side door and climbed into her seat. A few minutes later and they were driving down main street, making their way home. "Are you finished work now?" he asked quietly, staring out the window beside him.

"I'm finished for the whole weekend, honey. So you and I can do some really fun stuff," she chirped, looking at him in the rear-mirror. But he wasn't looking back. He had stopped talking altogether now, simply stared at the traffic passing by. She knew he missed his father, but there wasn't much she could do. "Koichi, honey, what's wrong?"

"Nothing," he replied, still not returning her gaze. But Sakura didn't give up that easily. She continued to watch him through the mirror in front of her, they were stuck in traffic anyway so she wasn't endangering them.

"Koichi," she called softly.

"I miss dad," he whispered to the window. "_We _were supposed to spend the weekend together." Sakura's eyes softened and her heart melted. She really wasn't sure what to say to him. She knew the separation was hard on him and she understood his upset, but what she didn't know, was how to handle it. She had read books on the effects of divorce on children, but they really didn't give her much insight. All she could do, whenever he was upset, was remind him that they loved him. But it was a bit hard to convince a four-year old that his father loved him when he was hardly ever around.

"I know you miss him, Koichi," she whispered. "But your father is a really busy man." Koichi turned his head to look at her now, nodding his head at her statement. He fidgeted with his seat belt, he did it when he was upset or nervous. Something he had picked up from Sakura. "But you know he loves you, _very much._"

"I know," he mumbled. Sakura felt her eyes water at Koichi's small reply. She couldn't help blaming herself for putting her son through this.

"Hey," she called softly, ignoring her own feelings. "How about we call dad before bedtime?"

Koichi's eyes lit up and his eyes met hers in the mirror. He flashed her a brilliant smile. "Okay."

* * *

><p>Itachi flipped his cellphone up as soon as it rang. "Uchiha Itachi." But once again, there was no one on the other end. Or rather, there was, but they didn't speak. "Hello?" he ventured, but again, nothing. He slammed the device shut, storming out of his office towards the elevator.<p>

Shisui appeared beside him when he exited the elevator. "Great news," he began. "We got a lead on Orochimaru. We have agents monitoring him."

Itachi sighed. "Are we still under orders to observe only?"

"Yeah," he whispered hesitantly, "sorry."

"Don't be," Itachi replied, walking down the short corridor. "It's not your choice."

Itachi continued walking as Shisui spoke. It was only a short distance to Ibiki's office. He knocked only once before walking in. Ibiki had called a meeting late this evening to talk about the case. He assumed it was about Orochimaru since Shisui has just told him they were aware of his location. Ibiki greeted him quickly before telling both Uchiha to take a seat. The two men sat in silence for a few moments as Ibiki continued typing on his keyboard. His mouth was set in a harsh glare as he stared at the screen in front of him. After a couple of seconds, Itachi heard a small beep from the computer and Ibiki shook his head furiously.

"Superintendent? What' going on?" Shisui finally asked.

Ibiki kept his gaze on the screen. "We had him..." he whispered.

Shisui looked between Itachi and Ibiki, hoping for more clear answers. "What?" he asked again.

"A couple of hours ago, Orochimaru was spotted by some of our agents. I immediately constructed a team and had them shadow him. However, they lost him during rush-hour traffic. When they found him again, he was leaving a small diner on main street." Ibiki shook his head again, sighing. "Followed by this man," he whispered, turning the computer screen around to allow the two Uchiha's a better view of the picture. It was in black and white and the picture was pulled from a security camera across the street; but all three recognized the man behind Orochimaru as the man from the sketch.

"Where are they now?" Itachi spoke for the first time.

"Gone," Ibiki whispered. "They probably realized they were being followed. They sped off as soon as they got into the vehicle."

"Can we track the plate?"

"The license is being ran through the system now. But I doubt it will lead anywhere." Ibiki offered again, rubbing his hands over his bald head.

"So what do we do now?" Shisui asked.

"What about the diner?" Itachi interrupted. "Who owns it? Was it investigated?"

"Sasuke, Tenten and Neji were the members of the team following him. They're at the restaurant now, but it's hard getting information."

"I'm not surprised," Shisui spoke once more. "They know what could happen if they spoke to anyone asking questions about Orochimaru."

Itachi's eyes narrowed for a moment, thinking back to the original investigation. "Orochimaru had a large property portfolio when we investigated him eight years ago. None of the properties were in his name, but many of them were tied to known aliases of his. If this diner is one of his-"

"Maybe it can help us to keep tabs on him,"Ibiki's interrupted. "Good work. You look into that."

Itachi nodded to the Superintendent. "Is there anything else?"

"No," Ibiki answered quickly, shaking his head. Itachi looked to Shisui for a moment to catch his attention.

"Can you give us a second?" Itachi asked quietly. His older cousin complied, retreating from the office. Ibiki looked up from his desk.

"What's wrong, Uchiha?" he asked slowly. Itachi remained silent for a moment, staring at the wall ahead of him. He didn't want to sound agitated or intimidated, so he let out a small breath before speaking.

"I've received a number of... strange phone-calls. One last night, one this morning and one, just now, in my office. I answered all three calls but there's never anyone on the other end." Ibiki looked at him for a long moment.

"It could just be coincidence. Your mind can play tricks on you when you're already on-edge."

"I know," he whispered. "I just..."

"Have Ino look into them," Ibiki spoke again. His voice back to it's loud tenor once more. "And try not to stress over it." At the sentence, Itachi's eyes flew to his, staring him down. "Kisame told me about your hospital visit. Now go home, it's late. And take it easy for the weekend. I don't want to see you until Monday morning."

"But sir, this case is-"

"Itachi, I believe you were medically advised to take time of work. You only got back from France two days ago!" he almost laughed. "Shisui can cope with the case while you take the weekend off."

He couldn't exactly argue. Ibiki's word was final, and if Itachi wanted to remain on the case., he knew he'd have to submit. He nodded once before leaving the room.

* * *

><p>"Itachi, wait up," Kisame shouted, running across the lobby. Itachi gave the older man a glare as he caught up to him, and continued walking. Kisame struggled to keep up with the Uchiha's pace. "Itachi, what the hell, man?"he shouted after him. He walked as fast as he could and placed a hand on Itachi's shoulder. But Itachi shrugged him off. He turned then and gave Kisame another glare.<p>

"You told Ibiki about the hospital?" Kisame shook his head, sighing quietly.

"He needed to know," he said simply. Itachi almost laughed, let out a small choked sound instead. "You were going to end up killing yourself," Kisame whispered. When Itachi saw the expression on his face, he knew he was right. It seemed like ages before either of them spoke again, but it was Kisame who broke the silence of the lobby. "Wanna go get a drink?"

* * *

><p>"Koichi, honey, you nearly finished in there?" Sakura called through the bathroom door; could hear water running in the room. A moment later, and the door opened. Her young son walked out, and bared his teeth. "Perfect," she whispered, after examining his gleaming teeth. The young boy ran across the hall and into his bedroom, throwing himself onto the small bed on the far side of the room. Sakura appeared behind him a second later, sitting down on the edge of the bed. She buried him in his duvet before picking a book up off the night stand.<p>

"Wait," Koichi mumbled, as his mother opened the small book in her hands. "You said we could call dad before bedtime."

Sakura sighed deeply, closing her eyes. "Koichi-"

"You promised," he whispered. Sakura leaned forward, kissing his small cheek, before reaching into her pocket and digging out her cellphone. She punched in the familiar number, and handed it to the young boy. He took the cellphone, with a cheerful smile.

"Dad?" she heard him mumble after a few moments. With that Sakura, stood up and retreated from the bedroom.

"Can you come read me a story?"

"…"

"Please? Mom can't do it like you," he whispered into the cellphone.

* * *

><p>"Okay, I'll see you soon. I love you," Itachi smiled and tucked the phone into his breast pocket.<p>

"Koichi?" Kisame questioned, taking a swig from his glass. They were seated at the bar of a club not far from the station. Itachi nodded, pushing his drink away from him. "You leaving?"

"Yeah. I'll take a rain check on that drink," he called, already leaving the premises. Within seconds he was out the door and in his car. He turned the ignition and sped off.

* * *

><p>The pink-haired women stood from the sofa when she heard a knock upon the front door. It only took a couple of seconds to reach the door from her seat. The apartment she and her son had been renting for the past month wasn't very large. She opened the door to find a familiar face on the other side.<p>

"Itachi," she breathed. She hadn't spoke to him since the hospital incident the night before, and it was weeks since she had spoken to him before that. As much as she wanted them to talk, she needed more time to think. "He's in his room," she said slowly, moving to the side to let him pass. He thanked her quietly before moving past her and up the stairs. Sakura sighed softly, closing the door and walking back to her sofa.

He padded quietly across the hallway, towards the door that he knew to be Koichi's. He knocked quietly on the door, before pushing it open to see his son sitting on the bed.

"Dad!" he shouted, bounding of the bed towards him. He ran into Itachi's awaiting arms, eyes full of delight. "I missed you," he shouted, cuddling into his father's chest.

"I missed you too," he whispered into the young boy's hair.

"Did you get the bad guys?" Koichi asked hesitantly.

Itachi laughed, rubbing Koichi's back. He assumed he was inquiring as to the reason he hadn't seen his father in weeks. "I did,"he whispered into his hair. "Now, back to bed. I'll read you that story."

"Okay."

Itachi mimicked Sakura's earlier actions, picking the book up from the night stand after placing Koichi under the duvet. "Dad," Koichi began in a small voice, "are we spending the weekend together?" He looked up at Itachi with big, green eyes that were all Sakura. He could never say no to them. "Or are you... working?"

His heart almost leaped from his chest. He hated how the separation was affecting his son. He reached out, running a hand through his son's dark, thick hair, before cupping his little cheek. "We'll do whatever you want to do, this weekend. OK?"

"Alright," he laughed, grabbing the book from Itachi's hands.

* * *

><p>It had been almost an hour since Itachi had disappeared up her staircase. Sakura tried to concentrate on her soap-operas but knowing her estranged husband was upstairs made her uneasy. She knew that they really needed to talk. She felt bad about how she spoke to him at the hospital and for how she had treated him these past couple of months. She really wanted them to come to some sort of mutual agreement, for Koichi's sake if nothing else. And now with her impending date with Neji, she felt even worse about the situation. The sound of soft steps on the carpeted stairs caught her attention. She turned her head to see Itachi standing at the bottom of the steps. She gave him a, sort of, half-smile before she crossed her arms over her chest. Neither seemed to know what to say to each other.<p>

"I'm going to pick Koichi up in the morning," he finally said. Sakura rose an eyebrow at him, standing from the sofa and turning her body fully to face him. "What?" he asked, looking at her amused expression.

"Nothing," she murmured, her head shaking.

"If you have something to say, Sakura."

"I have plenty to say," she whispered to herself. But Itachi heard her. His eyes narrowed into a harsh glare and he moved closer to her.

"And what, exactly, do you mean by that, _Sakura?_" he questioned darkly.

"You know exactly what I mean, Itachi," she screamed. And suddenly all thoughts of _mutual understanding, _flew from her pink head. "I can count, on one hand, the amount of days you've spent with him since we left. Do you understand how difficult it is to explain to a four-year old, why they haven't seen their father for so long? Especially _that _four-year old!" she shouted once again, her eyes furious.

Itachi rose his hands in defeat, lowering his head before walking to the apartment door. Sakura bit her lip and shook her head. She didn't know why she was still so mad whenever she saw him, and she didn't want to figure it out, because right now all she wanted was to punch his pretty face in. "That's great Itachi, just leave. Brilliant." She tried to ignore tears that were threatening to develop.

"What do you want from me, Sakura?" he shouted, spinning around to face her. "You told me you didn't want to see me, so I stayed away. You need to figure out what it is you want."

"Your son started school this week, Itachi," she shouted, interrupting him. "And you couldn't even turn up for five minutes to see him off."

"I was in France," he said more to himself, as Sakura wasn't listening. "And anyway, I'm the one paying for this private school you picked out Sakura," he spoke in a low, dangerous voice. "I'm sure they'd let me know how my son was doing if I rang them."

Sakura's eyes narrowed, vehemently. "Get out," she whispered, pointing to the door behind Itachi. He knew he'd gone to far. Itachi closed his eyes for a moment, breathing deeply.

"I'll pick him up around noon," he whispered to her, knew she would hear him.

"Get out," she repeated again, trying to hold back her tears. Itachi took one last look at her, before nodding his head and exiting the small apartment. When she heard the door slam, Sakura finally allowed her tears to fall and her arms to wrap around her body. _So much for working something out, _she thought bitterly. When she first left with Koichi a couple of months ago, she thought that maybe, just maybe, Itachi would follow her and they could work something out. But now, Sakura really didn't see a future for them.

* * *

><p>Itachi drove through the empty streets in silence. Even the car radio aggravated him, so he switched it off. He punched the side of the car door in frustration. He was so mad. But not at Sakura, at himself. His life seemed to be spiraling out of his control and he had no idea how to stop it. His main priority now was to end this case that had been hanging over him for the past eight years, and then, hopefully, try to resolve those family issues. And there were a few of them. If it wasn't Sakura giving him grief, it was Sasuke. And if it wasn't him, it was someone else. He tried to clear his mind, to relax as he sped soundlessly down the lane-way that lead to the house he once shared with his wife and son.<p>

He made his way up the driveway, ignoring his cellphone that had started to ring. The ignition was turned off and Itachi stepped out of the vehicle and headed for the back door of the large house. He ran a hand through his long bangs, rubbing his eyes along the way. He was exhausted and wasn't ashamed to admit it. But as he approached the door, he saw that it was slightly ajar. Instinctively, he reached for his gun, pointing it towards the open door. He walked to the door slowly, and very carefully, pushing the door open. It made no sound.

Itachi stepped into the house, into his kitchen, training his gun around the room, searching for intruders. When he found no one in the kitchen, he took a small step to his right, and opened the door to the laundry room. Nothing. He closed the door again and stepped back into the kitchen, and wandered slowly to the left to search the rest of the house.

Cautiously, he made his way up the hall leading from the kitchen. He stopped halfway to open the only door on the left. The door to his office. He quickly scanned the room, and when he was satisfied he exited the room, closing the door behind him. He continued up the hall until he reached the front door. Opposite it was the staircase. He gave a quick glance upwards, before continuing past it into the large, open living room. He investigated it quickly, before retreating and heading up the stairs.

A few minutes later and he came back down the stairs. He had searched every room upstairs and had found nothing. He took his cellphone from his pocket and punched in a familiar number, all the while heading for the alarm system beside the front door. He entered a series of digits on the system. "_Nothing,_" he said to himself.

"Hello?" he heard Shisui grind out.

"It's me. I've just returned home, and found the back-door swinging open," he said evenly. No hint of fear or trepidation in his voice.

"Is anything gone?" he heard Shisui groan.

"No," Itachi said slowly. He waited a moment before speaking again. "Do you still think I'm being too apprehensive?"

"No," he heard Shisui say quickly, in almost a whisper. "I'll be over in a few minutes." Itachi said his goodbyes before flipping the phone down and walking into the living room. He took a seat on the sofa, breathing in deeply. His hands went to his eyes. He was so tired, his eyes had started to hurt. He was just about to close his eyes and nod off when he noticed something. Or rather, _the lack of something. _He bolted upright, looking around the room, his eyes searching frantically. But it was nowhere to be seen. Who would break into his home and take nothing but a photograph of Sakura and Koichi, that he kept atop his fireplace?

"Orochimaru..." he whispered into the darkness.

* * *

><p>Sakura smoothed out the kinks in her hair that the wind had caused moments ago. She stepped into the foyer of the restaurant, looking around for her date. She shed her coat and handed it to the waiter, revealing a flowing blue dress. The waiter informed her that her date was waiting and she smiled before following him across the floor. Within seconds, she spotted him. And he looked very handsome.<p>

"Sakura," he smiled, rising from his seat.

"Hi," she smiled back, taking a seat in front of him. She was uneasy for a few minutes, this was her first proper date, in a _long time. _She fidgeted with the edge of the tablecloth for a few moments. And it didn't go unnoticed by her date.

"Are you okay?" he whispered across to her, catching her attention. Her eyes were wide, like a deer caught in headlights. She quickly shook it off, however.

"I'm fine," she said _too _sweetly, even though she knew she was lying through her teeth. She wasn't fine. She felt guilty. Like she was betraying her family. And it sickened her. Her first date in, literally, years and she felt bad for her, almost, ex-husband.

"How's Koichi?" Neji asked casually, trying to start a conversation. Sakura's eyes softened at the mention of her son. She was smiling again, thinking of him at breakfast that morning.

"He's fine. His father picked him up this afternoon. They're having a sleepover," she laughed softly. Neji laughed along at the thought of his straight-laced, authoritative boss having a sleepover with a child.

And so the night continued. They talked over dinner and Sakura felt herself becoming more relaxed with his company. For once she wasn't worrying about her family or her job, she was having fun. _With a friend. _

Even though, they were having a wonderful time, Sakura realised she didn't really feel anything for Neji. A few times that night, Neji had, 'accidentally', brushed her fingers or her wrist. But she felt no connection, no electricity. With Itachi, it was instant. The second she saw him standing in her father's home, she felt a spark. It was exciting. And terrifying. But Neji wasn't Itachi. And there was definitely no chemistry.

"So," Neji began, feeling more confident. "Are you and Itachi..."

"Over?" she offered. He nodded slowly, keeping her gaze. "Yeah. I've actually contacted my lawyer about divorce proceedings," she spoke softly.

"Oh," Neji murmured. "I guess two months doesn't exactly say, _taking a break, _does it?" he smiled at her.

Sakura's smile fell, and she shook her head. _Two months. _It didn't feel like two months. It felt like both a second and lifetime all at once. _Two months, _she repeated in her head, staring at the glass of water in front of her.

"Are you alright, Sakura? You seem a bit... preoccupied tonight?" his voice was gentle, and his hand grazed over hers.

"I'm just tired," she replied, shaking her head. "Would you mind if I left early?"

"Of course not," he practically cut her off. "Go get some sleep," he smiled again.

"Thanks, Neji," she whispered gently, standing from her seat. He followed suit, standing in a gentlemanly gesture. Sakura rewarded him with a peck on the cheek before retreating back across the floor, towards the foyer. She took her coat from the smirking waiter, before leaving the restaurant.

She stepped out into the cool night air. She almost felt sick. She rubbed a hand across her face, before pulling her car keys from her coat pocket. The young woman walked towards her car, parked further down the street. When she reached it, she was just about to unlock the door when something across the street caught her eye. She didn't hesitate. She put the keys back in her pocket, before crossing the deserted street.

Sakura stepped inside and heard a small jingling noise. The was a small queue, but she didn't mind. She took her place behind a couple of other women, before running something over in her head. _Eight, nine, ten, eleven,twelve, thirteen. Thirteen weeks. _The queue moved forward and she went with it, edging closer to the counter. _Nausea, mood-swings, fatigue. _She only made herself feel worse the more she thought about it.

"Can I help you?" the cashier beamed at her. Sakura looked up to see she was next.

She swallowed the lump in her throat, walking toward the counter. "Can I get a... pregnancy test. Please."

* * *

><p><strong>End of Chapter.<br>**

* * *

><p>Thank you very much for reading.<br>All my love!


	3. The Goodbye

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

* * *

><p><strong>Title:<strong> Synthesis

**Author:** Absolute. Tranquillity

**Pairings:** ItaSaku

**Genre: **Family/Crime

**Word count: **6215

**Rating:** M

**Notes: **Regular updates have resumed.

* * *

><p><strong>Synthesis<br>Chapter Three  
><strong>

* * *

><p>"Morning Koichi," Sakura called, as her son walked into the small kitchenette, fully dressed in a school uniform. Sakura tried to be cheery, but she was visibly exhausted with small bags under her eyes.<p>

"Morning," he replied softly, yawning as he took a seat at the kitchen table. Sakura poured cereal into a bowl in front of him, running her other hand over his head.

"Listen, I have to be in work early today, so uncle Naruto is going to drop you to school. Is that okay?" Koichi murmured something in between mouthfuls of flakes. Sakura assumed he didn't mind by his affirmative nods. There was a few minutes of silence between them, disrupted only by the sound of Koichi munching on his cereal. But soon after, there was a knock on the apartment door. Sakura stood quickly, leaving the kitchen.

"Hey Sakura," she heard Naruto shout as she flung the apartment door open. No one quite knew how Naruto could be so cheery all the time; especially on a Monday morning.

"Good morning," she called softly, stepping aside to open the door more. "Sorry to have to ask you to do this, but I have surgery this morning-"

"Sakura, don't worry about it," he said, cutting her off. "Is Koichi ready?" Sakura gave a small smile and nodded.

"Almost," she called walking back to the kitchen. Naruto closed the door over slightly, before following Sakura. "Koichi, go brush your teeth; Naruto's here," he heard her say to her young son. He reached the kitchen door just as Koichi was leaving.

"Hey, Koichi," he smiled, ruffling his thick black hair.

"Hi," he said in a small voice, trying to take Naruto's hand from his hair. The young boy laughed when he finally freed himself of the older man's hold, and then he disappeared up the stairs. Naruto carried on into the kitchen and immediately turned his attention to his friend. She was stacking a few files in order on the dining table. And even though her bangs were covering half of her face, Naruto could tell she looked exhausted. His smile fell even further when she rearranged her hair to show small bags under her puffy, red eyes. He knew she wasn't herself lately but this was worrying. Sakura had never looked like this before, in all the years he had known her. He was worried.

"Sakura," he called softly, getting her attention. She turned her head quickly to look at him, raising a questioning eyebrow. When she stood to her full height, Naruto's eyes widened slightly in surprise. He didn't speak for a moment, simply looked her over. She had gotten very thin, he noticed. And pale. The dark lines under her eyes probably meant she hadn't been sleeping properly neither. "Are you... alright?"

Her face fell for a split-second, but she covered up her initial reaction with a fake smile that she plastered on her face. "I'm fine," she lied easily. She went back to flicking through a large folder. Naruto turned around and looked out into the living space, to make sure Koichi wasn't waiting around. He turned back to her then, satisfied that little ears weren't listening.

"Sakura," he said once more. She didn't look at him that time. She took a deep breath and stopped messing around with the folders. She craned her neck and mimicked Naruto's earlier actions. She didn't want her young son knowing of her pregnancy just yet. She closed the file at her hands and turned to face Naruto. He really did know her too well, but then, they had been friends for an awfully long time. She whispered something across the small room to him, but he couldn't hear it.

"What?" Naruto all but shouted.

"I'm pregnant!" she said, louder this time. From Naruto's shocked expression she was sure he had heard her that time.

"Preg-" Sakura rushed towards him and covered his mouth with her hand. The sudden silence of the kitchen allowed them to hear the sound of small footsteps on the staircase. She removed her hand when Naruto realised what she was doing. He ran a hand into his hair, scratching his scalp. "You and Itachi split up a couple of months ago. How far along are you?" he whispered. Sakura shrugged her shoulders.

She took another deep breath, "I don't know, Naruto!" her voice cracked as she spoke. "I must be two or three months at this stage." Her small eyes were full of worry and Naruto was sure that if he continued questioning her, she would start crying. Her took her hand and pulled her into a tight hug. Sakura rested her head on his collar-bone, grateful for the support.

"You have to tell Itachi," he said, kissing the side of her head. Sakura simply nodded into his chest, wiping her eyes. She let go of him immediately however, when she heard a small voice just inside the doorway.

"You have to tell dad what?"

Sakura's eyes widened. She hoped he hadn't heard anymore of the conversation between herself and Naruto. She was just about to speak when Naruto stepped in, "That he has to take you to Saito's birthday party this Saturday." Koichi simply smiled up at him, obviously satisfied with the answer. Or maybe it was just the premise of birthday cake that had him smiling...

"Your school-bag is by the door, honey," Sakura smiled and walked over to him. She planted a kiss on his cheek before he ran off to the door. Naruto put a hand on her shoulder reassuringly, before giving it a small squeeze.

"I'll call you later," he smiled. Sakura returned the gesture before Naruto also left her kitchen. She flinched when she heard the apartment door slam shut after them. She sighed deeply and ran a hand through her hair, dragging the roots from her scalp. It was going to be a long day.

* * *

><p>Itachi sat at the conference table, staring at the mess of papers in front of him. He just couldn't concentrate on the stack of work in front of him, not since Friday night anyway, when his house was broken in to. The lab still hadn't gotten back to him with fingerprint analysis and it was frustrating him more each day. Every time he tried to do some work, his mind wandered. Who would want to steal a photograph of his wife and son? And why? He was perplexed to the point of vexation. He looked up for a moment when he heard the doors opening. But it was only Shisui. He had a sneaking suspicion that his cousin was keeping the rest of the team at arm's length from him. He couldn't really blame him, he himself knew how irritable he had been lately.<p>

"You were right about the diner. It is owned by Orochimaru," Shisui called across the large room. "One of the chefs talked, after we found out about an outstanding warrant for his arrest." Itachi simply nodded at his older relative. Shisui realised he wasn't going to be thanked for his work so he turned on his heels and started to leave the room. "Oh," he shouted, throwing his head back. "Ibiki said he wanted to see you after this mornings meeting."

"Alright," Itachi said slowly, reading the pages in front of him. Shisui took once last glance at his, almost-brother, before shaking his head and leaving.

* * *

><p>"Anything else?" Ibiki's voice boomed through the room. When no one said anything, he smirked. He liked it when they was nothing serious to report in the morning meeting. "I'm going to be busy most of the day, so if you need anything, see Shisui." Noise filled the room once more as the agent's began talking amongst themselves, when Ibiki started walking to the exit. "Oh, and Uchiha-" he called, turning around to face the group once more. He stopped mid-sentence when three Uchiha's were looking back at him. "Eh.. Itachi, can I see you in my office." Itachi nodded quickly before standing from his seat and following the Superintendent out of the room.<p>

"What's that about?" Kisame whispered to Sasuke who was sitting beside him.

"How should I know?" he said with a hint of annoyance to his voice.

"You're his brother," Kisame whispered again. "Don't you talk to each other?" Sasuke only answered with a glare. Kisame knew when to leave well enough alone, so he raised his hands in defeat and turned back around.

"Shisui," Sasuke called, grabbing the older man's attention. "A woman was reported dead on the news this morning. The picture depicted a red-haired woman, shouldn't we be looking into it."

Shisui took a moment to think, biting his lip. "It could just be coincidence, but just to be sure, I want you to check it out." Sasuke nodded quickly and stood from his seat, walking towards the door. "And make sure you get a blood-test done," Shisui called after the younger man.

* * *

><p>Itachi closed the door after him when he entered Ibiki's office. He stood at the exit, hoping Ibiki would get the message and not keep him long. "We got the fingerprint analysis back," Ibiki said, straight to the point.<p>

"Who's?"

Ibiki closed his eyes and sighed. "AFIS says it's Kabuto Yakushi's."

"That's not possible," Itachi said quickly, narrowing his eyes at Ibiki. "He's dead; I killed him."

"I know that, Uchiha!" Ibiki shouted. "I've ran it three times now and we get the same result each time." Itachi brushed his bangs from his forehead, taking a small breath of air.

"So what now? We hunt a dead man?" Itachi chuckled in indignation. "The press will have a field-day..." he whispered into space. If he didn't remember every single detail of his last encounter with Kabuto Yakushi, he would believe the analysis. But he did remember. He remembered the spray of blood on his shirt that afternoon; the small sound of the gunshot that had a silencer affixed to it. He even remembered the small choke emitted by the grey-haired man as he sat dying in the front seat of his car. But what he recalled most vividly was the disgusting smirk that adorned Kabuto's lips as he threatened to mutalate Itachi's only lving relatives; his mother; his brother.

And now this same, _dead_, man had supposedly stolen away into his home and taken a picture of the only two people closer to him than his mother and younger brother. It was a warning signal, he just knew it. The more he thought about the idea of Yakushi being alive, the more he felt that familiar throb building in his head. Up until now, the painkillers Sakura prescribed had being doing a good job. But then, he had been taking it easy over the weekend. Maybe she was right about his stress being work related. _Well, of course she was right, _he told himself. He was proud of the fact that his wife was one of the best doctors in Japan, hardly a day went by when she was inundated with job overs from all over the world. He remembers staying awake some nights, aworrying she would recieve too-good an offer to pass up and leave him. He started working hours on end to make her as proud of him as he was of her. So, in the end, it was his own fault that she left.

"You were right last week, Itachi." Ibiki said quietly, turning to look out the large windows that opened onto main street. "You're more than likely _his_ target." Itachi remained silent. "The stolen photograph was a warning." Ibiki's eyes caught Itachi's then. He was sorry he hadn't believed the younger man earlier. He sighed again. "We're moving you out of the city. There'll be... an accident this evening. Hopefully, Orochimaru will fall for it and leave Sakura and Koichi alone."

"Hopefully," Itachi snapped bitterly.

"What do you want me to do, Uchiha?" he shouted again. "He'll find them; He can find anyone. But if he does go after them, I won't hesitate to move both Sakura and Koichi into witness protection and get you back here." Itachi stared at his Superintendent for the longest time. He had come to know Ibiki as someone he could trust. He wouldn't break a promise like that. Itachi just hoped he wouldn't be too late. He nodded once.

"Good," he whispered. "Take the rest of the day off, spend some time with your son. I'll organise the details and call you tonight."

"Sir," Itachi bowed his head before leaving the room.

* * *

><p>Itachi left the room still reeling. He was frustrated, alarmed and confused, all at the same time. Ibiki had told him to spend time with Koichi, which meant he was probably going to be gone for some time. The thought of not seeing or speaking to his son for an unknown period of time made him feel sick. Koichi was the most important thing in his life, and sure, he might not see him that often, but hardly a day went by when he didn't speak to him over the phone, if only for a few minutes. Shaking his ill-feelings off, he started towards the elevator. But when he turned the corner that lead to the lifts, he saw Sasuke entering, and the sick feeling washed over him again. How would his family feel after he... <em>died? <em>His mother would be devastated. When his father died, Itachi swore he'd never let her cry like that again. But now he was causing her pain, purposely.

"Sasuke," he called down the hall as the doors started to close. Luckily, his brother heard him and held out a hand to stop them. "Where are you going?" Itachi asked, stepping inside. Sasuke looked him over for a moment.

"The hospital," he said slowly, still giving him the smallest of glares.

"I'm heading there too. I'll give you a ride."

"During work hours?" Sasuke asked casually, sticking his hands in his pockets.

"I need a break," Itachi said smoothly. "I'm taking an early lunch."

Sasuke merely nodded at his reply as the elevator doors closed.

* * *

><p>"Sorry I'm late," Sakura called, slamming her bag down on the table. Ino gave her friend a questioning look, after the initial impact made the small table shake.<p>

"You okay?" she asked quietly.

"You have no idea," the pinkette whispered grabbing the menu from the table.

Ino laughed, grabbing another menu, "Jeez, Sakura, when I invited you out for lunch I didn't expect this."

"Expect what?" she snapped, throwing her a glare.

"Wow..." the blonde whispered, keeping her eyes fixed on the menu. Sakura sighed heavily, rubbing her eyes.

"Sorry," she mumbled, pushing her hair back from her face. She looked up from her menu to find Ino staring at her. Her eyes softened and for a moment, she wanted to confess her pregnancy to the other woman and finally have someone _female_ to confide in. But when Hinata and Shizune joined them moments later, she decided against it.

They exchanged greetings but Sakura simply smiled at the two newcomers. She was in a horrible mood today and didn't want to take it out on her friends.

"So Sakura, how was your date?" Shizune asked teasingly. Sakura threw her a playful glare before going back to her menu.

"It was fine," she answered eventually. "But I don't there'll be another one."

"Oh, that bad?"

"I just said it was fine," she laughed. "I'm just not in the right place."

"Wait," Ino shouted eventually. She had looked so confused for the past minute. "You had a date? With who?" she shouted once more. Ino couldn't believe her best-friend had kept something like that from her.

"With Neji," Sakura answered.

"Neji?" Ino shouted again.

"Ino!" Sakura scolded. "Stop shouting."

"Neji?" she said quieter. "You know he's your husbands subordinate, don't you?"

Sakura shook her head in annoyance. "This is exactly why I didn't tell you." her voice was low and threatening. She didn't want everyone in the small café to hear her conversation. "I knew you'd be like this."

"Like this?" Ino asked sarcastically.

"I appreciate you've been friends with Itachi for a long time, but our marriage is over." Sakura slammed. "I should be allowed date whomever I want."

"But Neji?" Ino whined again. "Eww..." she whispered to herself.

"Don't give me that, Ino," Sakura spoke in annoyance, her voice low. "You think Itachi hasn't moved on already?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ino asked, her voice rising once more. She knew her friend was severely misguided if she thought Itachi wasn't still completely in love with her.

"Nothing," Sakura mumbled.

"No, carry on."

"Fine," Sakura shouted, slamming the menu down. "You haven't heard about Itachi and Karin?"

"Oh, Sakura. Don't be so stupid," Ino cut her off. "Karin works in our lab!"

"Last week," she shouted again. "Itachi and Karin were in France together, did you know that?"

"Yeah, the department had a meeting with the French government concerning a case. Karin has fluent French so she was picked," Ino answered quickly.

"Hold on," Shizune interjected. "Kakashi was supposed to go with Itachi, I remember asking Ibiki about it personally. For some reason though, it was changed and Karin ended up going with Itachi. I know because I work in the same lab as her," she threw Ino a small grin, the two were never great friends. "Sorry, Sakura." she added quickly.

Ino continued sending glares to Sakura. She didn't believe a word of this and she didn't think Sakura should either. "Koichi wanted to speak to him one night whilst he was in France. It was pretty late -around midnight- so I called his cellphone directly instead of the hotel. Karin answered it," Sakura spoke in such a low voice, it was heartbreaking. "She said he was in the shower and that she'd get him to call me straight back. He never did."

Shizune patted Sakura's hand. She smiled and reached out for her earlier discarded menu. Ino continued glaring at her surroundings, not looking at her best friend. She was pissed at the thought of Itachi and Karin sleeping together, when, only weeks ago, he was confessing his undying love for Sakura to her. She had felt so bad for him -to the point where she was even angry at Sakura for leaving him. This was like a slap in the face!

"Why don't we change the subject," Hinata chimed in, she had been silent up till now. She didn't know Karin and hadn't spoken to Itachi since he and Sakura split up. "Sakura, did Koichi tell you about our trip next week?"

Sakura smiled and laughed. The only two mothers of the group started to talk about their children, leaving Shizune and Ino to themselves. Ino didn't speak however, she simply continued to glare at the walls around her.

* * *

><p>"So what are you heading to the hospital for?" Sasuke asked, breaking the silence of their journey.<p>

Itachi changed gear, before turning his head to look at his younger brother. "I'm going to talk to Sakura about Koichi."

Sasuke nodded, already running out of things to talk about. "You?" Itachi asked quietly, stopping at a red light.

"Investigating a murder," he replied quietly. "Red-haired woman in her twenties. I figure it could be our guy."

Itachi nodded quietly, watching the ongoing traffic in front of him. He couldn't understand why his conversations with Sasuke were always so awkward. "It could just be coincidence." Sasuke laughed at his reply, turning his head to look out the passenger window. "What's so funny?" Itachi asked.

"That's the exact same thing Shisui said." Sasuke all but whispered. It was funny how alike Itachi and Shisui were. Itachi gave him a puzzled look; he didn't understand how it was laughable. Sasuke turned when he felt Itachi's gaze on him. When he saw Itachi's troubled expression he sighed loudly, before rubbing his eyes with his hands. "You know sometimes I feel you and Shisui should be the brothers. It's eerie how alike you two are. Just like dad," he whispered the latter part of the sentence. Itachi felt his chest tighten at his small admission. He knew Sasuke and him never seemed to fit right with each other, but the slight hint of pain and longing in Sasuke's voice made him flinch.

The light turned green and Itachi turned his eyes back to the road. He had no idea how to answer Sasuke, or how to make him feel better about his identity crisis. But he couldn't just disappear from his life with their relationship on such unsteady ground, could he? "You can let me out here," Sasuke spoke again.

"The hospital is another block away," Itachi replied quickly.

"The entrance to the new coroners office is here. They're refurbishing the old one after a fire broke out a few months back." Somewhere in Itachi's mind he vaguely recalled Sakura talking about a fire, but then, that was about the time they had started having trouble. He was trying to busy himself with work so as to forget their marriage woes, that he spent barely anytime at home, let alone listening to Sakura's work stories. Even he was unimpressed with his attitude towards her looking back on it.

He swerved into a parking space on the right side of the road, luckily the street was almost deserted at the time. Sasuke's hand quickly went to the door, but Itachi stopped him. "Sasuke," he said evenly. The younfer brother turned to look at him but Itachi was staring directly in front of him. "I don't know what's going on with us... but I love you. You're _my _brother." he said, still staring through the windscreen. "Don't forget it," he added quickly. Sasuke stared at him for a moment. He was quite shocked to say the least. He couldn't remember Itachi ever telling him he loved him before, it was just something he didn't do.

"Um, thanks," he murmured, dazed. He left the car, slamming the door shut behind him.

* * *

><p>Itachi entered the large building. He gave the waving receptionist the smallest of smiles as he passed by. Honestly, he had walked this same route so many times in the past to collect Sakura that he knew it with his eyes closed. After a few minutes his feet came to a stop by a familiar door. The name on the door read <em>Sakura Haruno <em>once more and it left a small sting in his chest when he read it. He heard voices inside the room but didn't think much of it. He knocked on the door anyway, assuming it was a colleague inside. The voices stopped and seconds later Sakura appeared. She had a look of shock on her face, like she had been caught red-handed, and Itachi couldn't figure out why. That was until she opened the door more fully. He caught sight of Neji Hyuga standing by her desk. He, too, had a look of guilt on his face. And suddenly, it all made sense.

"Itachi," she breathed. "What brings you here?"

Itachi couldn't stop himself from staring at the Hyuga further inside her office; couldn't help but imagaine what they had been up to before he got here. Sakua and Neji weren't exactly close friends, so it only left one explanation. An explanation he didn't dare to think about fully. "I wanted to talk about Koichi," he murmured still ignoring her gaze. The tension seemed to be too much for Neji. He tried to escape the Uchiha's harsh glare by tearing his eyes from his and moving further towards them.

"I should go," he said quietly. Sakura nodded at him sadly. "Itachi," he nodded to his superior, before walking out the door. Sakura followed him a couple of steps. They were only outside the door so Itachi could hear the conversation.

"Thank you for understanding, Neji," she whispered.

"Don't worry about it. Goodbye."

Seconds later she re-entered the room. She didn't look as guilty anymore, a strange look of despondency filled her eyes. Itachi didn't know how to feel, but he did know that his chest and head both ached. "So, what is it?" she asked him. Itachi took a moment to study her, but she never met his gaze.

"I want to pick Koichi up from school today and spend some time with him," he said evenly. "If that's okay."

Sakura's eyes flew to his. "Of course that's okay," she replied. "He always wants to spend time with you." He nodded once, offering a small smile. He took a small, silent breath, realising they had nothing more to talk about it. Unsure of what to do next, he simply sidestepped her before walking back out of the office. "Itachi," she called, just as he started to walk down the hallway. "There's a spare key under the mat outside my apartment. Incase Koichi needs spare clothes or something." For a moment Itachi felt compelled to lecture her on the dangers of leaving a spare-key out. But at the risk of starting another fight, he decided against it. He gave her a small smile before walking away.

Sakura couldn't quite put her finger on what it was, but Itachi seemed different to her. She had been expecting a lecture about the key, but he had... _smiled at her? _Her brow furrowed and she fidgeted with her nails as she watched him walk down the corridor.

* * *

><p>"Dad," Koichi began, carefully tending the ice-cream in his hand. Itachi turned to look at the young boy in the passenger seat beside him, signalling that he was listening. "When are mom and I coming back home?" Itachi felt a lump rising in his throat. He didn't want to upset or disappoint his son, but he needed the truth. As much as he wanted his wife and son back, he didn't see it happening in the near future. He remembered promising Koichi that it was only temporary when he first left with his mother that night two months ago. But he wasn't so sure about the temporality of it now.<p>

"Koichi," he whispered. The young boy looked up at him with expectant eyes. Itachi looked between his son and the road ahead of him. "I don't want to give you false hope," he spoke softly. "I'm not sure if that will happen," he said, referring to the idea of Sakura and himself reuniting. "I know it's difficult right now, but thing's will become easier. Okay?"

Koichi continued to stare up at his father. Itachi could tell he was upset, he knew because he could see tears forming in the corners of his eyes. He felt like an ass when Koichi looked at him with those puppy-dog eyes. Growing up, his father didn't spend much time with him or Sasuke, so when Koichi was born, he promised he'd be a better father than his had been to him. But it was complicated and there was nothing he could do to make his son stop hurting.

After a while, Koichi's gaze left him and returned to the melting ice-cream in his hand.

"We have to go to your house first to get some clothes for you. Okay?"

"Okay, I can show my new toys," he smiled brightly. Itachi returned the smile and ruffled his son's soft hair.

* * *

><p>Itachi lay exhausted on his sons bed. It had been too long since he spent an entire afternoon with Koichi, sure he was overtired, but it was worth it. They'd spent the past seven hours reading, colouring and playing with various toys. He was sure it was the game of tag that had made him so sleepy, that kid could really run. He felt Koichi's breathing start to even out and Itachi felt himself praying for his son <em>not<em> to fall asleep. Because as soon as he did, that would be it. Who knew how long it would be before he saw him again. "Koichi," he called softly. All he got in return was a small murmur. Checking his watch, he saw that it was well past nine pm. It was way past Koichi's bedtime.

Carefully, he stood from the edge of the bed. He was glad they decided to stay in Sakura's apartment. He didn't feel it was safe bringing Koichi to a house that had been broken into. He picked the young boy up effortlessly, pulling back the duvet cover beneath him. He placed Koichi underneath, before tucking the blanket around him. He sat back down for a moment, rubbing his son's forehead. He didn't want to leave, but Ibiki assured him it would be for the best. He lowered his lips to the young boy's forehead and placed a kiss on it.

"I love you, Koichi," he whispered into the young boy's ear. Koichi murmured something burying his head further into the pillow. Itachi gave him a small smile before standing from the bed and leaving the room.

* * *

><p>Sakura snapped her head up when she heard footsteps on the staircase. She gave Itachi a small smile when he reached the bottom of the stairs. He looked surprised to see her. "Sakura, when did you get back?" he asked, walking towards her. She stood from the sofa taking a few steps towards him.<p>

"Only about an hour ago. I heard you two having fun upstairs, so I let you be," she laughed. She looked up at him for a short time. She felt like she needed to explain Neji to him, but wasn't quite sure how to broach the subject. She bit on her lip for a moment before finally finding the courage. "About earlier, Neji and I-"

"Sakura," he cut her off. "You don't have to explain." Her eyes widened slightly, she wasn't quite sure why she felt a sting in her chest at his words. "If you're happy, that's all that matters."

As much as it killed him to say it, he said it anyway. Sakura looked a little dejected for a few moments but a bright smile spread on her face afterwards. She was surprised by how pleasant he was today. No snide comments or blatant ignorance. _It was... nice,_ she decided. She couldn't help the smile rising even further on her face. She wasn't sure if it was the best time to bring up the pregnancy; she knew how busy he was with work. She decided to put of the _good news _until after his investigation was over. She knew Itachi too well, if he found out about the baby, he wouldn't concentrate fully on his work. He'd be too preoccupied worrying about their situation. He'd want them to move back in together and maybe make a go of their marriage.

On one hand, Sakura wouldn't mind trying to salvage their relationship, especially on good days like today. But on the other hand, she couldn't let go of the hurt he had caused. Especially the pain she felt today at lunch with that Shizune had told her.

"I better go," he said quietly, shaking her from her thoughts. "Koichi's asleep anyway."

"Okay," she replied, walking towards the apartment door. He followed her and stepped outside when she opened the door for him. "Goodnight," she called softly.

He took once last glance at her, taking in everything about her. "Goodbye, Sakura." And with that, he turned on his heel and started down the apartment stairwell.

* * *

><p>"Your car is being crashed as we speak. Problems with the brakes will be cited as the cause," Shisui spoke quietly. "Itachi Uchiha will die in the accident. His body won't be found," Shisui cringed outwardly at his own words. He had made sure that Ibiki knew he was against the idea, but when Itachi agreed, there wasn't much he could do. Itachi was still looking at the apartment block beside him. He turned to face his cousin before nodding. "I'm going to take you to the safe-house now; everything you'll need will be there. Okay?"<p>

Itachi sighed deeply, turning his head to take one final glance at the apartment on the third floor. He watched as Sakura's bedroom light was switched off. He smiled softly. "Okay." Maybe when this was over, he could win her back from Neji.

* * *

><p>Sakura stirred awake, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Her room was dark except for the small amount of light coming from the ensuite bathroom. She always left it open, being afraid of the dark since she was a child. She looked around her, not sure why she had woken. She didn't need the bathroom and wasn't thirsty neither. She lay her head back down and closed her eyes. <em>Probably just a fly or something, <em>she though to herself. But then she heard it. A knock on the apartment door. Quickly, she got out of bed and grabbed a nightgown.

She hurried down the stairs, unaware that Koichi had woken to, and was now standing atop the staircase watching her. She reached the door and opened it quickly to find her brother-in-law on the other side.

"Sasuke?" she whispered quietly. She flipped the switch for the hall light, but when she did she saw tears in his eyes. She was taken aback, having never seen him cry, or look so agitated before. "Sasuke," she whispered again. "What's wrong?" she reached her hands out to support him, afraid he would fall.

"Sakura," he whispered. She seemed preoccupied, wrapping an arm around him and helping him into the apartment. "Sakura," he said again, catching her attention. She looked up at him this time. And then she found herself terrified of what he might say.

All the while, Koichi was slowly but surely making his way down the staircase. He wanted to know why his uncle was so upset.

"Sasuke," she pressed again. "What happened?" her voice was barely above a whisper.

His eyes locked on hers, and he felt his chest tighten painfully when he spoke. "Itachi's dead."

Sakura continued staring at him, unsure as to whether she had heard him correctly. But when tears started to stream down Sasuke's cheeks, she knew she had indeed heard him correctly. He wrapped his arms around her and buried his face in her hair. Sakura felt him trembling in her arms.

Koichi stepped off the staircase and made his way to the two adults in the apartment. He gently, placed his hand on Sasuke's much larger one, that hung limply by Sakura's side.

Sakura felt her heart pound in her chest as tears started to build in her eyes. Instinctively, one of her arms left Sasuke's waist and her small hand went to cradle her stomach.

* * *

><p><strong>End of Chapter<br>**

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><p>I'd appreciate some feedback if you guys have a couple of minutes. I'm getting ten and twenty new 'Story Alerts' for each chapter, but only a small fraction leave reviews. If you like it, tell me. If you don't like it, don't be afraid to tell me what it is you don't like. :D<p>

Thank you all for taking the time to read.  
>All my love!<p> 


	4. The Confession

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

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><p><strong>Title:<strong> Synthesis

**Author:** Absolute. Tranquillity

**Pairings:** ItaSaku

**Genre: **Family/Crime

**Word count:** 4883

**Rating:** M

**Notes: **Fans of Synthesis should check out my recently added poll. ;)

This one is a bit weepy, so watch out!

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><p><strong>Synthesis<br>Chapter Four  
><strong>

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><p>Sakura continued writing, even when her father asked her to stop. She was doing everything she could to keep herself busy, to try and somehow forget that she had just buried her husband, mere hours ago. To try forget the constant, searing pain she felt in her chest. For her children's sakes, she had to continue working. When she told her family of her plan to return to work so soon, they were mortified. Itachi was only dead two days and she was planning on going to the hospital the next morning. But it was just her way of dealing with things. If she wanted her children to have a normal upbringing, she had to keep working. So, all of the files in front of her had to be read and organised before her return.<p>

Her father had come to Tokyo from Yokohama when he learned of the news, much to Sakura's protests. She felt weak asking her father to join her in Tokyo, but she wasn't above it. For the first day, she cried to her father silently in the living room; she was glad that Mikoto and Sasuke were at the Uchiha estate making funeral arrangements. She'd hate for them to see her so fragile. Koichi understood straight away what had happened Monday night. Again, she was grateful to her father for stepping up to look after Koichi. Everytime she looked at her young son she felt her heart break a little bit more.

As much as it pained her to admit it, she knew she was still in love with her husband. His death made her realise it wholeheartedly. If only they could have each swallowed their pride and tried to work something out.

Sitting at the kitchen table, Sakura fought back yet more tears that were forming in her eyes. As she worked through the huge stack of files, she could only ponder on what might have been.

"Sakura," Mikoto called from the kitchen doorway. "Koichi says he's feeling sick." Sakura looked up from her work to see the fine lines of exhaustion etched onto the older woman's face. She gave a curt nod, before flipping the file closed. She dabbed the corners of her eyes with her vest sleeve before leaving the kitchen and entered the small living space. She saw him immediately. He sat beside Sasuke on the sofa. His head was resting on his hands and he had a glum expression on his face. Sakura walked over to him and sat down in front of him.

"What's wrong, honey?" she asked quietly. She tried to smile to reassure him but it didn't do much good. The despondent look never left his face. His eyes travelled to hers and rested there for a few moments. Sakura knew he was hurting, but not in the physical sense.

"I feel sick," he murmured after a few moments. Sakura took a breath, before grabbing his hands with her own. She rubbed her thumbs over his tiny hands, hoping her presence would comfort him. She wasn't sure what to say to him. She knew he didn't feel sick, he was still upset from this morning and wanted some attention. But of course, she couldn't explain that to a four-year old.

"Koichi, how about we go for a walk by the river?" Kenchi chimed in. "It might make you feel better." Koichi looked from his mother to his grandfather before going back to Sakura once more. He looked into her eyes, silently asking for permission. Sakura smiled and raised his small hands to her lips to press a small kiss against them.

"I'll get your coat," she whispered to him, standing from her position on the floor and walking to the coat-rack.

"I think, I'll go with you," Mikoto mumbled putting on a long cardigan she had around her shoulders. "I could do with some air." Sakura felt sorry for the older woman. She knew Mikoto was trying to be strong, much like herself, but she couldn't imagine how she must have felt after losing a son. She knew she'd rather die than have to go through the pain of losing Koichi. Sakura took the small tweed coat from the hook beside the apartment door and walked back to sofa. Koichi jumped up off the sofa and allowed Sakura to help him into it.

"September air can be chilly," she murmured as she kneeled in front of the young Uchiha to fasten the buttons on his coat.

"Sasuke," Mikoto called from the apartment door. "Do you want to come?" The young man snapped his head to look at his mother. He regarded her for a moment before shaking his head. She smiled half-heartedly before exiting the apartment followed by Kenchi and their grandson.

Sakura sighed and brushed the bangs from her face. She flopped down on the sofa beside Sasuke. He was extremely quiet, more so than usual. She knew he was upset, but she felt compelled to reassure him. Slowly, she reached out her hand to intertwine with his. He looked shocked for a moment -as if he hadn't even seen her beside him- but he quickly relaxed. "You okay?" she asked quietly, staring at their joined hands. He nodded, not even bothering to open his mouth. For the longest time, they sat there in silence, enjoying the calm, quiet nature of the apartment that afternoon. Sakura wasn't quite sure how things would work out now that the funeral was over. She presumed Sasuke and Mikoto would go back to their homes; her father would also leave to return home and her and Koichi would be left to get back to normal. Alone. They had been separated from Itachi for months, but this was different. It was in that moment that Sakura finally acknowledged that Itachi wasn't coming back.

"We never really got along," Sasuke whispered, grabbing her attention.

Her head snapped in his direction, amazed that he has spoken. "Excuse me?"

"Itachi and I," he replied. "Even as children we were never that close." Sakura tilted her head and squeezed his hand, urging him to continue. But he didn't; he simply stared into space, his eyes focusing on nothing.

"Sasuke?" she prodded further. He looked at her then, his eyes locking on hers.

"You know when we were kids, our father never had time for us. He was Superintendent General; was always working. Even when he was at home, he would stay in his office." Sakura heard the notes of anger lace through his voice as he spoke. "But Itachi... Itachi was the golden-child. I know my father favored him," he whispered.

"I'm sure that's not true," Sakura said, rubbing his hand with the pad of her thumb.

"It is though, Sakura," he said louder this time, cutting her off. "He could do no wrong. And I..." he trailed off. "I just wanted a father and a brother."

Sakura had started to feel uncomfortable with the conversation, but she couldn't bring herself to move from the small sofa. "Shisui came to live with us when he and Itachi were teenagers. And well... you know how close they are... _were._" he whispered the last word, his voice cracking. "Aren't brothers supposed to be there for you?" he said loudly, making Sakura flinch slightly. "I don't remember him ever being there for me as a kid. Neither him nor my father."

"Sasuke, I'm sure you-"

"I'm not over-exaggerating, Sakura. This is all true. I never felt good enough for my own family. I felt rejected and unloved by own father. Felt that Itachi and Shisui were _real _brothers and I was just this kid who hung around..." he trailed off again, his voice becoming higher as he spoke. Sakura could tell he was getting worked up again. "For years, I resented Itachi..." he whispered darkly.

"He loved you, Sasuke," Sakura stated firmly. But he didn't seem to listen; he was staring off into space again. She yanked her hand from his grasp and turned around on the sofa to face him. One of her hands went to his chin to turn his head to face her. "Did you hear me, Sasuke?" she shouted to him. "He loved you so much. And so did your father."

"How could you know that?" he spat, tearing her hand from his jaw.

"He told me," she whispered, her hand grasping his once again. "I asked him why you two seemed... indifferent to one another. Do you know what he said?" she whispered, catching his gaze. He shook his head; eyes wide, waiting for a response.

"He said he didn't know. He told me that as much as he loved you, there was always a distance between you. He didn't understand it," she mumbled. "I told him to try bridge the gap but he declined. He said he needed to find the root of the problem first. That was a couple of years ago," she whispered looking downcast. "But then we had... difficulties. He had a lot of stuff to worry about, I guess" She said the last part of her sentence more to herself rather than Sasuke, but he still heard it. His eyes softened and he gave her hand a squeeze.

"What happened with you and Itachi?" he mumbled soon after she stopped speaking. Sakura's eyes dropped then, to stare at her lap. A look of sorrow swept across her face and her stomach lurched as she recalled the details.

"I guess we grew apart," she said slowly, sighing afterwards. "We were both working crazy hours, we spent barely any time together. What made it worse was that we didn't seem to mind being apart for so long. Eventually we were like strangers in the same house. We fought constantly for the last six months of our relationship. Everyday was a new trial," she whispered. "After one particularly heated argument, I decided I'd had enough." She winced as she recalled the night in question. She remembered the sound of plates smashing off the kitchen tiles. He told her he had to leave -afraid of what he might do if he stayed- so she proceeded to throw whatever she cold find at him. That included wineglasses and dinner plates.

"After he left, I went straight upstairs and packed my things." Sasuke gave her hand a gentle tug. He knew how the story ended but it was still hurtful to hear. "He returned just as we were leaving," she said, trying to stifle a laugh. "He never asked me to stay; he simply said goodbye to Koichi. And that was it," she finished her story. Sasuke's hand left hers and wrapped around her back instead, pulling her closer to him.

"Did you want him to?" he asked quietly. Sakura looked at him with a questioning glare. "Ask you to stay, that is?" Sakura sighed deeply, resting her head on his collar-bone.

"It doesn't matter now," she sighed into his warm embrace. "What does matter, is that you know he loved you. He wanted to be the brother you wanted more than anything. He just didn't know how." Sasuke placed a small kiss atop her head, grateful for the words she had shared with him.

"He told me himself," he said lazily. "Monday afternoon, he dropped me off at the hospital. Before I got out of the car, he told me he loved me." He remained silent for a moment before a a choke of laughter broke free from his chest. "Can you imagine how shocked I was?" Sakura joined in laughing for a moment. "Strange..." he whispered to himself.

"It feels so weird talking about him in the past-tense," Sakura said softly after a few moments. "I don't think I've fully realised it yet."

"My mom's the same, she hasn't cried yet," he laughed quietly. "And you know my mom, she cries at the evening news."

Sakura smiled softly, "you have to be there for her when it does happen, Sasuke. She'll need you."

He tightened his hold on the young woman in his arms, "And who'll be there for you?" he asked quietly.

"I have Koichi," she smiled up at him. _And a new baby, _she reminded herself. At the remembrance of the small life growing inside of her, small tears pricked the corners of her eyes. She didn't realise how much she was crying until Sasuke pulled her further into his lap, trying to calm her down.

"It'll be okay, Sakura," he whispered quietly to her. It only made her cry more. It wouldn't be okay. Her child was going to grow up without ever meeting his, or her father.

She pulled away from him then, sitting up beside him. He looked confused as the tears continued to spill down her cheeks. She raised her hand and used the back of it to wipe the excess moisture from her cheeks. "I'm pregnant, Sasuke," she said quietly, tears building once more. Her brother-in-law widened his eyes in shock. It was too unfair, he decided later. Without saying a word, he reached out and pulled her back into his embrace. He stroked her back as she sobbed into his shirt.

"Don't worry," he cooed into her ear. "I'm going to be here for you."

"I never thought I'd have to raise my children alone," she choked out, her eyes now sore from crying.

"Listen to me," Sasuke said harshly, taking her hand and kissing her palm. "You're not going to be alone. Okay?" He kissed the side of her head when he felt her nod against his shoulder. For what seemed like hours, he sat in silence with the still-crying woman, who was carrying his brother's child.

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><p>Sasuke threw his keys on the kitchen counter when he entered his small apartment. As much as he hated leaving Sakura in that state, he knew she would she would be fine with her father. He had offered to take Koichi for the night, but Sakura didn't want to explain her pregnancy to her father and her mother-in-law, so she politely declined. After swearing him to secrecy, of course.<p>

Sasuke slowly made his way to the living room, collapsing on the sofa. He was absolutely exhausted. The past three days had been hell, for all of them, not just him. He knew adjusting to life without Itachi would be hard, but isn't that what happened after a funeral? They got on with their lives. His chest tightened painfully when he thought of Sakura; she wouldn't be able to move on, not with a young son and a new baby on the way.

He sighed loudly, covering his face with his hands. "What a mess," he mumbled into the darkness of the apartment. Everything seemed so out of balance at the moment. Almost like the world was ending. He wasn't sure where to go or what to do. Itachi's death was like a kick in the teeth. He'd spend years working up the courage to challenge his brother. Monday afternoon in his car seemed like the perfect opportunity to clear everything up. But it wasn't to be and only twelve, short hours later, Itachi was burning in a car wreck on main street. Life really was a bitch.

But then realisation struck him. Itachi was a great driver, and at that time of night, there would have been very little traffic. It didn't add up. He decided he would speak to his cousin in the morning. He would know more. He dragged himself up off the couch and trudged to his bedroom. Things were meant to look better in the morning, right?

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><p>The following morning, Sasuke made his way through the police station. A few officers gave him small looks of pity and a couple even patted him on the back. He ignored most of them, heading for his unit at the end of the long corridor. He pushed open the large glass doors easily. He saw only a few agents sitting at the desks that lined the walls, including Shikamaru and Genma who were laughing amongst themselves. Sasuke gave them a small nod of acknowledgement before turning left and heading to Shisui's nearby office. He knocked curtly, before opening the door. Shisui looked up from his desk, lines of stress and worry etched plainly on his face. He didn't say a word to his younger cousin, so Sasuke sat down on a chair in front of his desk.<p>

"What is it, Sasuke?" he asked quietly, writing something on a report in front of him. He sounded pitiful and worn out.

"Was Itachi in trouble?" Sasuke said quickly, not wanting to drag it out. "With Orochimaru I mean. He told me about the original case, so I know he was threatened before."

"What are you asking, Sasuke?" Shisui ground out quietly, still not looking at his cousin.

Sasuke regarded him for a moment, unsure if he was barking up the right tree. But he pressed on anyway. "Was my brother murdered?" he said evenly, burning holes in Shisui's head. The older man, dropped his pen and looked up at Sasuke for the first time. He really was too intuitive. Even more so than his older brother. "Shisui?" he pressed when the man gave no reply. Carefully, Shisui picked up his pen and started writing again.

"No, it was an accident."

Sasuke glared at Shisui. The way he dropped his pen and looked at him just now lead Sasuke to believe he knew more than he let on. "Don't lie to me, Shisui," he growled. Shisui slammed the pen down, standing from his desk. His hands gripped the desk, glaring at his young cousin.

"Why are you doing this, Sasuke?" he shouted, causing Sasuke's brow to furrow in confusion. "Itachi is dead. Why can't you leave well enough alone?"

"What's going on?" Kisame spoke loudly from the doorway. Sasuke gave his older cousin one last glare before he stood from his chair and raced to the door.

"Nothing," he spat as he sidestepped Kisame to exit the office. Shisui's reaction all but told him there was more to the accident than he first thought.

He walked further down the unit after he left Shisui's office to reach Itachi's. The door was left open for colleagues to visit and pay tribute to Itachi. He saw a small book of condolence open on the desk. He glared at the offending object, turning his attention to the boxes beside the door. They were currently empty; he knew they were there for him or Shisui to fill with Itachi's belongings. A short, sharp pain ripped though his chest at the thought of packing Itachi away into a wardrobe somewhere.

He sighed loudly, sticking his hands into his trouser pockets. But something on the desk caught Sasuke's eye. There were files strewn about from where Itachi had left them before the accident, but one particular page caught his eye. He walked closer to investigate it. Itachi had open a copy of Orochimaru's property portfolio. The list was extensive, with over fifty properties listed. Most of them were scratched out or ticked, except for one. _Sweat Nightclub._ _How tasteful_, he thought to himself. He stared at the file for some time, calculating risks and possible outcomes of investigating Itachi's trail of breadcrumbs. Itachi was on to something, and if the red x's beside the nightclub didn't mean a lead, he didn't know what did. Quickly, Sasuke grabbed the file and exited the office.

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><p>"This will feel cold at first," Tsunade warned, squeezing a gel-like substance out of the bottle in her hand. Sakura yelped in surprise at the sensation on her exposed skin. "Sorry, I did say it would be cold," the older woman laughed. Sakura stared at the monitor in front of her, which would, any second, show her her baby. Tsunade spread the gel all over Sakura's lower stomach using the transducer in her hand. "Any second now," she muttered, scanning over the young woman's abdomen. Sakura held her breath as Tsunade's brow furrowed. After a few moments of searching she still couldn't find what she was looking for. Sakura's eyes's left the monitor to look up at her aunt and mentor. Tsunade could tell the young woman was worried; she could feel her gaze burning into her.<p>

But then, she found it. All at once, a small, grainy image appeared on the screen. "There it is," Tsunade smiled. Sakura's eyes flew to the monitor and a beautiful warmth flooded her body. She was looking at her child for the first time. Tsunade glared at the equipment for a second, before flipping a small switch at the side. When she did, the room was flooded with a loud beating sound.

Sakura's eyes flew to meet those of her mentor, "Is that?"

"That's your baby's heartbeat," she smiled, still looking at the screen in front of her. The expectant mother looked back at the screen once more. A surge of pride swelled within her. She hadn't wanted this baby when she first took that test Saturday evening, but now, her maternal instincts were kicking in and she found herself desperate to protect her unborn child. The only thing she would change now, was the fact that Itachi wasn't here to see his child. A small tear slipped down her cheek as she watched the monitor in front of her. "You're just under three months pregnant," Tsunade informed her, still staring at the monitor.

"How did I not realise this before," she whispered to herself.

"You were going through a separation, Sakura. You had plenty of other things on your mind."

"Still," she whispered again. Tsunade took a moment to study the young woman. She'd been through so much lately, it was unfair that she had to bear her dead husband's child. Tsunade knew what the easiest thing to do would be. But she didn't dare suggest it to Sakura. She would never dream of aborting the baby.

"I can't believe this child is going to grow up never knowing his or her father," she whimpered, grabbing a tissue from the side-table and dabbing her eyes with it. "And there's Koichi," she said taking a breath, "What is he going to remember about Itachi in ten years?"

"Sakura," Tsunade mumbled, moving to wrap her arms around the shaking female.

Sakura nodded her head slowly, wrapping her arms around Tsunade's neck. "Thank you," she whispered over her shoulder.

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><p>Sasuke's stomach felt heavy as he pulled the large door open and stepped inside the huge building. <em>Sweat Nightclub. <em>Inside, he was greeted by clouds of cigarette smoke. He let out an initial cough as he felt the smoke enter his lungs. _Second hand smoke kills, _he thought to himself. _That bastard. _It was mid-morning, so not many were in the club. He saw a barman cleaning glasses not far from him. He was sending a serious glare his way. Sasuke walked towards the older, grey-haired man. "I'm looking for someone," he shouted to the barman from ten feet away.

"Aren't we all," the man shouted back with mirth in his voice.

"I think you know who I'm looking for," Sasuke said much quieter this time. More dangerous. "Orochimaru."

The barman stopped his administrations on the pint-glass in his hand. His head cocked up to meet Sasuke's gaze. "Who are you?"

"That's irrelevant," Sasuke snapped. He wasn't in the mood. "Where is he?"

"You needn't be so incensed, young Uchiha," he heard someone grind out behind him. The voice was low and rough. _Frightening, _almost. Sasuke turned slightly to see the solitary figure sitting a small table across the room. He had a cigarette in his hand, which explained all the smoke. Sasuke tilted his head to get a better view of the man hidden in the shadows of the mid-morning. He could see long, black hair running down his back and chest. He moved closer. As he neared the man, he was horrified by the juxtaposition of a too-pale face against ugly dark scars. He didn't let his fear show on his face, but his insides turned dangerously.

"Have a seat," the man spoke again.

"No thanks," Sasuke spoke in the most spiteful tone he could manage.

"Very well," he said taking a drag from his cigarette. "I'm Orochimaru. What is it you want, _Agent Uchiha?_"

Sasuke visibly recoiled that time. It didn't go unnoticed by Orochimaru, a lazy smirk appeared on his shadowed face. "You know who I am?" Sasuke asked quietly. He heard the man chuckle quietly, before taking a fit of coughing.

"I know who you are," he confirmed when he had finished.

Sasuke was in no mood for games, his brows furrowed once more. The smirk on the older man's face was really starting to piss him off. Without thinking, he pulled his gun from his holster, pointing it at Orochimaru's forehead. "You killed my brother," he spat, eyes full of venom. Orochimaru looked Sasuke up and down before laughing violently. He could barely contain his chuckles and they eventually gave way to a dry, deep-chested cough. Sasuke's temper was not cooling.

"I didn't kill your brother," Orochimaru managed when he had regained his composure. "But I wish I had."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed even further. "Do you know what your dear brother did to my son?" Orochimaru asked darkly, his words laced with venom. Sasuke's face remained impassive. He had no idea what the older man was talking about. "Kabuto Yakushi. Does that name sound familiar?"

Again, Sasuke kept his composure. He rattled his brain trying to place the familiar name. But he couldn't. Orochimaru sensed that the younger Uchiha brother knew nothing of Kabuto's death. "Get out of here, Sasuke," his voice rattled as he spoke. But Sasuke didn't move. He remained rooted in that exact same spot.

"My brother?" Sasuke prodded again. His eye's locked fiercely on Orochimaru's. Th older man smirked and laughed.

"Sasuke, I think we both know that your brother isn't dead."

Sasuke's eyes widened at the statement. His breath caught in his throat and it almost made him choke. I_tachi... alive? _He lowered his gun slightly, as the weight of the moment settled on him. It wasn't possible. It couldn't be, Itachi wouldn't put his family through something like that. But then... what if? Sasuke gave Orochimaru another fierce glare. Even though cigarette smoke filled the distance between them once more, Sasuke could practically feel the huge smirk spreading on his face. With rapid action, Sasuke put his gun back in it's holster before turning around and exiting the club.

Small chuckles escaped from Orochimaru's throat once more, watching the space where Sasuke had just stood. "Jugo," he shouted in that raspy voice. A red-haired man of large-build emerged beside him shortly.

"Boss?" he murmured in a boorish tone.

"Follow him," he said lazily, smirking all the while. "He's going to lead us to Uchiha Itachi." He closed his eyes for a short moment, letting the cigarette in his hand fall to the floor. His foot stomped on the still-burning object, extinguishing the glowing splint. "And to Haruno Sakura."

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><p><strong>End of Chapter.<strong>

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><p>Thought I'd upload the first of this week's chapters tonight rather than two on Saturday. :D<p>

Thank you all for reading!  
>Do leave a comment and tell me what you thought.<p>

All my love!


	5. The Murder

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

* * *

><p><strong>Title:<strong> Synthesis

**Author:** Absolute. Tranquillity

**Pairings:** ItaSaku

**Genre: **Family/Crime

**Word count:** 3819

**Rating:** M

**Notes: **Got called into work unexpectedly last night, that's why it's late. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Also, this chapter is shorter as the plot is just starting to develop more from this chapter. Future chapters are all very long, so bear with me! :)

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><p><strong>Synthesis<br>Chapter Five  
><strong>

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><p>Sasuke could barely control his rage as he sped through the streets of Tokyo. He took the backroads, not wanting to waste a minute of his time. His arms were rigid on the ten and two positions of the wheel. At that moment, he felt like his mind was going faster than the car. Itachi would not do something like this to his family, to Koichi! No, he simply refused to believe that Itachi would go as far to fake his own death to shake off the attention of Orochimaru.<p>

The drive that would normally take over half an hour, took him only eleven minutes. When his eyes were not on the road they were on the clock. It was after noon and he needed to speak to Shisui. He raced smoothly into the carpark of the Metropolitan Police Department. He tore the keys from the ignition and quickly stepped out of his car, slamming the door shut behind him.

Inside, Sasuke strode towards the glass doors of his unit. His head poked around the door to his cousin's office, but he was not inside. He swore under his breath, turning back to the room full of agents. He made his way through the office again, heading straight for those same glass doors again. Until Kisame stepped in front of him, that was.

"Sasuke, you okay?" he asked slowly, as if he could sense the younger Uchiha's anger.

Sasuke shrugged Kisame's hand from his elbow. "Where's Shisui?" he asked in dark, authoritative voice. Kisame's mouth opened to form a perfect circle. He had never Sasuke speak like that before, like he was absolutely furious.

"I'm not sure-" the words had barely left Kisame's mouth before Sasuke sidestepped him and left the office. The older man stood in shock for a few moments, before turning to watch the Uchiha storm down the hallway. If the glass doors had slammed with even an ounce more force, they would have shattered.

* * *

><p>By the time he reached the breakroom, he had calmed slightly. But then, that could just have been the effect the blonde inside had on him. Ino turned her head quickly when she heard the door open. Her smile was quickly replaced by a grimace when she saw the rage on the young man's face. "Sasuke," she called, walking closer to him. "You need something?" He looked her over for a few minutes, the rage subsiding slowly. It was only now he had realised that tearing through the office and ignoring his friends would help him none.<p>

"I'm fine," he started quietly. "Have you seen Shisui?" Ino shook her head slowly, offering him the coffee cup in her hand. He waved a hand and scrunched his face at the steaming styrofoam cup in her small hand.

"Oh!" she squeeked, raising a pointed finger. "He did say something earlier about having to speak to the Superintendent earlier."

He mumbled a small thanks before turning and walking to the doorway, but Ino stopped him before he could leave. "Sasuke, are you alright?" she asked softly. "Shikamaru said you and Shisui were... arguing this morning."

He sighed softly before turning and giving a small smirk, "I'm fine. And that argument was nothing."

"Well if you're sure," she replied, giving him a bright smile. She looked him over for a moment, unsure what to say to the boy she once loved. She had to stifle a laugh at the memory of herself and almost every other girl at their highschool competing for the younger Uchiha's attention. "I'm gonna go have lunch with Sakura. You're welcome to join us if you want," she said finally, quickly.

Sasuke shook his head a moment later, but gave a small smile as recompense. "I have to go... take care of something." Ino smiled softly before waving him off as he exited the small room.

* * *

><p>He made his way to the third floor, threading carefully down the long corridor that lead to the Superintendent's office. The door was slightly ajar when he reached it; could hear voices inside. He recognised that of his cousin and also Ibiki, it sounded like they were arguing. He walked closer, but not to close as to draw attention from passers-by. Instead, he pretended to be inspecting the pictures that hung on the wall. Every man who had ever held the office of Superintendent General was on that wall. Just before Ibiki, he saw his father's picture. He had a stern look on his face, something Sasuke remembered all too well. "Don't give me that look," he whispered to the picture. "I'm waiting for Shisui." Just then, a janitor walked by him; Sasuke swore he had heard him talking to a framed photograph. He smiled nervously, scratching his head.<p>

His head jerked backwards towards the door when he heard Ibiki shouting inside the door: "No, Shisui!" But Shisui didn't reply in the same manner. His voice was a deep hum to Sasuke, he moved further into the wall, trying his best to hear what Shisui was reprimanded for.

"Sir, with all due respect, Itachi was right. We have to take action to keep them safe." Sasuke's brow furrowed at the words he had heard Shisui mutter inside the room. _Them? _Who needed immediate protection? And what was Itachi right about? Sasuke didn't have time to think as he heard Shisui walking across the wooden floor of Ibiki's office. He left his previous position outside the open door and walked a couple of feet down the hallway. He stared at the pictures once more, his father glaring at him as he waited.

"Thank you, sir," Shisui called when he came to a halt outside the door. "I'll make contact when we get there."

Sasuke watched his cousin retreat down the opposite side of the corridor. He thanked god that Shisui hadn't seen him; his cousin would know for sure he had been listening, afterall, he looked highly suspicious. What agent spent their time looking at pictures on the wall, on a floor that had nothing to do with his unit? He was sure the third floor was for lab personel only. It was also home to offices of big-wigs, of course.

Slowly, he followed after Shisui. His cousin knew more than he was letting on and Sasuke swore he was going to find out what it was. He walked down the long hallway, careful not to arouse the attention of Shisui. His cousin entered the elevator at the end and Sasuke had to duck into an open doorway so the older man wouldn't see him. He jumped back out when he heard the elevator door close. He smirked, proud of his pro-spy skills.

"Sasuke!" someone shouted from down the hallway. The voice made him flinch. _Had he been caught? _With trepidation, he turned to face the offending voice. He relaxed when he saw Shizune, the lab technician. "I finally found you," she glared playfully. "What are you doing up here?"

"I... uh...I-"

"Geez, you field agents are so uptight," she rolled her eyes, handing a sheet of paper to him. "Remember that woman who died Monday morning? The red-head you went to investigate?"

Sasuke nodded at the memory of the young woman lying on the gurney in front of him. A twinge of pain hit him at the same time. Itachi's death that night was still raw. "I remember," he replied softly, taking the paper from her.

"This is the lab work, I found it earlier-"

"It's only back today?" he snapped, reading over the page. "Today is Thursday; we did the tests Monday. What took so long?"

"Actually," she said quietly, pointing to the date on the top of the page. "The tests _were _done Monday. I found them on Karin's desk this morning when I was looking for a pen." She yanked a hand through her short locks, "She must have forgot about them."

"Thanks," he mumbled, looking through the pages.

"The blood work shows an overdose of Temazopam," she spoke in a more serious tone now, as opposed to her previous playful expression.

"She fits the victimology perfectly," Sasuke whispered. "Red-hair, mid-twenties with temazopam in her system."

Shizune eyed him carefully for a few minutes as the field agent read the report. Even to her, it made no sense. This guy disappeared for two decades and now, all of a sudden, he was back? She shook her head and let out a small sigh. "So what now?"

"I'll get this to Shisui. He'll probably want to call a meeting," Sasuke replied, his eyes finally leaving the page. "Thanks Shizune," he smiled. She returned the gesture and turned, walking back to her lab down the hall.

Sasuke glared at the page in his hand. It made no sense. He took a deep breath, turning his attention back to the elevator. "_Shit," _he whispered. He had gotten preoccupied with Shizune and now Shisui was gone. He dashed to the elevator, hoping to catch his cousin before he left to go wherever he told Ibiki he was going.

* * *

><p>The smell of Ino's tempura made Sakura feel absolutely sick. Normally, she loved the deep-fried, battered dish; but obviously the baby didn't. Ino continued talking, even as Sakura recoiled in horror at the dish in front of her.<p>

"And!" Ino shouted, holding a hand up. "Shikamaru said he heard the whole thing between them. He was in the office when it kicked off. Sasuke, apparently, stormed out of the office with a fowl look on his face." Ino sighed deeply, taking another bite of her lunch. "Honestly, I think he needs grief counselling," Ino took a look around her, before leaning in to Sakura. "I mean, he think's his brother is still alive."

"He just needs time Ino," Sakura replied. She took deep breaths trying to ease the queasy feeling in her stomach.

"Maybe," Ino whispered distantly. "He looked so lost this afternoon when I saw him.

Sakura felt the sick feeling rise from her stomach. Instinctively she swallowed, grabbing the glass of water from the table. She chugged half the glass down her neck, before wiping the moisture that was leaking from her eyes. "Ino," she croaked, sucking in as much oxygen as she could. "We need to leave, I can't stand that stuff."

Ino gave her friend a questioning look. Well, it looked more dumbfounded than questioning. "You love this stuff," she laughed finally. "Are you okay?"

Sakura met Ino's worried expression. She opened her mouth to say something but closed it again. She had been trying to tell Ino about her pregnancy for days now, but there was never a right time. But as Sakura went to blurt out her baby news, Ino's cellphone erupted into a chessy, pop-balled.

"Hold on," she mumbled, grabbing her phone from the table. "Ino Nara?"

"…"

"Right away, sir."

Ino slammed the device shut, and gave Sakura an apologetic look. "I'm sorry, but I have to go. Ibiki says it's important." Sakura waved her off, she had been used to this kind of thing being married to Itachi.

"It's fine," she mumbled.

"We'll talk later. I'll call over after work?" Ino asked, already gathering her things and standing from her seat. Sakura merely smiled and nodded at her. The blonde placed some bills on the table before practically running from the small café she frequented. Sakura sighed, grabbing her water glass once more.

* * *

><p>The young woman gave a loud knock on Ibiki's door. She opened the door slowly, and stepped inside at the request of the chief himself. Inside she saw Kisame standing by the large window, and Ibiki sat at his desk with a glum expression. "Take a seat Agent Nara, Captain Uchiha will be here soon." Ino nodded, taking a seat in front of him. She was unsure as to why herself, Kisame and Shisui were called to the Superintendent General's office on such short notice; something told her it wasn't good news. She fidgeted nervously with her fingers for a few moments before the door was opened unannounced and Shisui walked in. He had a very serious look on his face as he came to rest just beside Ibiki.<p>

He looked them over for a few moments, Ino became even more nervous as he did so. She looked from Shisui to Kisame, and back to the Uchiha again. "What's going on?" she snapped.

Shisui took a deep breath, visibly tensing. "Kakashi was murdered this afternoon in his apartment," he said quickly. Ibiki had closed his eyes earlier, obviously knowing what Shisui was going to tell them. Ino could barely find her voice. Only days after Itachi's death, Kakashi was killed. It seemed like a bad dream. Her superiors were dropping like flies.

"Why were we called?" Kisame asked, moving to sit beside Ino.

Shisui gave Ibiki a sideways glance. The Superintendent nodded, closing his eyes again. "We believe Orochimaru targeted Kakashi."

Ino recoiled in horror. She felt her stomach lurch at the Uchiha's words. "What do you mean?" she asked quietly. "I mean... why?"

"Someone called 911 from Kakashi's apartment at around noon," he said quietly. "We found a note beside his body," he shifted uncomfortably before he spoke again. "It read: '_Two of Five'_"

Ino's eyes snapped open in realisation. "Is that-"

"We think so," Shisui answered quickly. "We believe that the 'five' referred to in this note, are the five of us who were part of the original Orochimaru investigation."

Ino felt the world spin around her. If Orochimaru could get to Kakashi and Itachi, there was no hope for the remainder of them. _Wait, _he though to herself. She snapped her head up to meet the gaze of her superior. "I thought Itachi died in a car accident?" she spoke with a hint of sarcasm in her voice. Sasuke's behaviour suddenly made sense. Shikamaru had told her that Sasuke didn't believe his brother's death to be an accident. Both her and her husband shook it off, believing Sasuke to be simply grieving. But now...

Shisui looked back to Ibiki once more.

"He was murdered?" Kisame said evenly, looking back to the window.

"Not exactly," Shisui whispered.

"We're moving you both to a secure location," the Superintendent cut in before Shisui could elaborate. "Shisui will go with you. You will have full access to the database and any files you need. You will continue to work the case, and anything you come up with will be sent directly to me. I will pass it along to other field agents," he spoke in an authoritative tone as he gave his orders.

"Any questions?" Shisui spoke again. Kisame shook his head and Ino simply continued staring at the floor. The worried expression never left her face. Her stomach continued churning even as Kisame helped her stand from her seat and follow Shisui out of the office.

* * *

><p>Sasuke could barely see through the pouring rain. The wipers had only taken the water from the windscreen before it was covered again. He watched as the car in front of him came to a slow stop. Sasuke was sure they had the wrong place. He was currently miles from home, about an hour or two from Tokyo. Shisui had been acting suspiciously for a while, so when Sasuke saw his cousin, Ino and Kisame leaving the police department in Shisui's car that afternoon, he knew something was going on. Casually, so as not to draw attention to himself, he excused himself from work and started upon following the three agents.<p>

And now here he was, hours from home in the pouring rain with no idea why he had followed them, except for the fact that he felt compelled to follow them. It looked like a quiet, rural village to him. They had past a small convenience store and a post office a few minutes ago. On the current stretch of roadway he was on, Sasuke saw four of five farmhouses lining it. Shisui's car came to a stop outside one such house a few minutes up the road. Sasuke turned off his lights as continued driving slowly up the road, hoping the agents wouldn't spot him. He knew it could potentially be dangerous, especially in the lashing's of rain, but he quelled the feelings and carried on driving at a snail's pace.

He saw the three agents exit the vehicle, their arms heavy with folders. They ran the short distance from the roadside to the door of the house, obviously keen to get out of the rain. Sasuke saw Ino knock on the large oak door, covering her head with a hand. But what he saw next would leave him feeling both empty and sick at the same time. The door opened and a tall figure emerged. Ino looked taken aback for a moment, as did Kisame who had joined her. The person he assumed was a man judging by the height of him turned back, trying to find something on the wall. The hall light flickered on; he had found what he was looking for. And that was when Sasuke felt the contents of his stomach rising. Standing in the doorway of the farmhouse was his brother. His _very much alive, _brother.

Quickly, Sasuke opened the car door, almost falling trying to get out. When he did manage it, he expelled the contents of his stomach on the roadside. Small tears pricked at the corners of his eyes as he looked back to the farmhouse. The cool air and the rain did well to make him feel better. He felt his limbs trembling but managed to get back inside the car beside him.

* * *

><p>"Boss, it's me," Jugo ground out in a raspy voice. "You were right. He led me straight to all three of them."<p>

* * *

><p>"Excellent work, Jugo," Orochimaru smirked and laughed down the line. "Don't move. I'm sending some... <em>friends."<em>

"..."

"Jugo," he called again. "I want them all killed. Leave no evidence." With his final order given, Orochimaru slammed the cellphone shut. A small choke of laughter escaped his throat as he sat down on a nearby chair.

"So, is everything taken care of?"

Orochimaru looked up to see a man emerge from the shadows of the large, opulent room. "Almost," he called back. The man walked closer, taking a seat next to Orochimaru.

"And the woman you spoke of?"

Orochimaru took a deep breath, crossing his hands on his lap. "I'm taking care of that as we speak," he said evenly. The visibly older man nodded, he didn't seem eager to know of Orochimaru's affairs.

"Why is she of importance to you?" he asked, staring into the shadows. Orochimaru regarded him for a small moment.

"She is the woman responsible for Kabuto's... condition." The mystery man simply nodded again. Orochimaru grabbed the cellphone from the small table beside him and flipped it open once more. He dialled some numbers before putting it to his ear.

"Karin," he spoke in that dry, deep voice. "Good work."

"..."

"And the boy?"

"..."

"Good."

* * *

><p>Sasuke sat in the car outside the farmhouse. A light in the front of the house was turned on, but the curtains were drawn and Sasuke couldn't see inside. He left the vehicle, and started to walk up the short pathway to the house. His heart was beating in his ears and he felt his stomach lurched once more. He breathed in slowly, before raising a fisted hand to knock on the door. It was only a few moments before the door opened, and Sasuke was face to face with the man he had supposedly buried only yesterday.<p>

"Sasuke," Itachi breathed, his eyes widening in pure shock. The gun he had been holding out lowered as did his hands. Sasuke glared furiously at the taller man in front of him. The events of the past few days seemed to crash upon him like waves. His mother's tears, Koichi's withdrawal into himself and Sakura's terror at raising her children alone were only some of the reason's he felt his arm drawing back. This was something he had wanted to do for a _very _long time. His brow furrowed deeper as his hand fisted and drew back.

Sasuke was only vaguely aware of what he had done when he heard a loud crack and saw Itachi knocked a couple of feet backwards. The pain he felt in his knuckles was immense and Sasuke let out a deep sigh. He shook out his hand as his brother regained his composure in front of him. Sasuke looked to his older brother, he had blood pumping from his bottom lip. He barely registered what happened in the next few moments, but when Itachi dropped his gun and pulled him into a tight embrace, Sasuke felt the years of resentment washing away. He felt relief.

* * *

><p><strong>End of Chapter.<strong>

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><p>Thank you for your time!<br>See ye soon!


	6. The Shootout

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

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><p><strong>Title:<strong> Synthesis

**Author:** Absolute. Tranquillity

**Pairings:** ItaSaku

**Genre: **Family/Crime

**Word count:** 7750

**Rating:** M

**Notes: **I know it's been three weeks since the last update, but I'm afraid I can't apologise. There is a note on my page explaining the circumstances regarding the lack of updates, which, I do hope you read.

I can only assume you lovely people aren't too pissed off and I really do hope you enjoy this chapter!

**Also**, as way of recompense- I have dedicated a oneshot to all you people. It's KakaSaku so it may not be your cup of tea. But check it out- it's dedicated to YOU! (Mature content.)**  
><strong>

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><p><strong>Synthesis<br>Chapter Six  
><strong>

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><p>Itachi walked back into the living room with a glass of water in his hand. The three officers who had joined him earlier were all there; Shisui was in the far corner talking into his cellphone; Kisame and Ino working on the sofa. Itachi grabbed the small vial of pills from the fireplace behind him; the pills he had been prescribed by Sakura only a week earlier. They did a good job of tackling his now -less frequent- headaches but he still had flare-ups; especially in the last couple of days being isolated, locked away in a strange house.<p>

He turned his back on the others and downed a couple of pain-killers; didn't want them to see him. He placed the glass on the coffee table before taking a seat beside Kisame on the leather couch. "Any leads on Orochimaru?" he asked a few minutes later, the sound of rustling pages getting to him. Kisame shook his head, not even bothering to look up at his superior. Itachi gave a small nod, his eyes wandering around the room.

But then they narrowed slightly, and Itachi's head snapped in the larger man's direction. "Did you not inspect the file I left in my office?" Kisame looked up at him for a moment, his mouth opening slightly. He shook his head in confusion, muttering some incoherent noises.

Shisui flipped his cellphone closed and walked towards them, sighing. "Ibiki sends his regards," he muttered, his voice was quiet and obviously tired. Itachi trained his eyes on his older cousin, tilting his head slightly.

"Shisui," he called, grabbing the man's attention. "Did you by any chance happen upon that file I left open on my desk?"

"What are you talking about?" he said all too quickly. His eyes were half-closed in exhaustion. Itachi couldn't blame him, he had been travelling all day and left his family and friends behind for the sake of a case that just couldn't stay buried. "I brought any files on your desk, here tonight," Shisui spoke again, walking towards the coffee table. "They're all there in that stack."

Itachi fingered the edges of the files, searching for the one he wanted. He shook his head, letting out a deep sigh. The portfolio wasn't there. "It's not here," he snapped.

"That's all there was, Itachi," Kisame, this time, answered. "I helped Shisui carry them to the car." Itachi simply sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"What is it you're looking for?" Ino asked quietly, looking through the files on the table.

"A portfolio," he said evenly. "It contained information on every business Orochimaru had ties to; invoices, employee records."

"Are you sure you didn't bring it with you?"

"I'm sure," he replied all too quickly. "I left it on my desk. I figured someone would find and investigate it, since I obviously couldn't."

"It doesn't matter now," Shisui cut in sharply. "If it isn't here, there isn't much we can do about it. We'll carry on with what we have." His tone was final and he rubbed his eyes when he had finished. Itachi would've felt bad for him, but he wasn't going through any less than what they were going through.

"But we have nothing, Shisui," Itachi snapped. "Orochimaru is not an easy man to find. Once he disappears, it could be months before anyone sees, or hears from him again."

"He's still human, Itachi. He's bound to show up somewhere-" Itachi simply laughed as Shisui spoke.

"Orochimaru disappeared for years before, Shisui. How long do you think we want to stay hidden out here in the countryside?" Itachi gestured to Kisame and Ino when he said 'we', even though he was talking about himself. He had left the portfolio out on his desk in the hopes another agent would follow his trail and take some sort of action against Orochimaru.

Leaving that night had almost killed him, especially saying goodbye to Koichi. He couldn't stand the thought of his family thinking of him as dead. What if they moved on while he was gone? What if by the time he got back, his mother was old and barely recognised him? What if Sakura had remarried? What if Koichi was calling another man 'dad'? His chest tightened painfully and he had to stand from the sofa before he did or said something he would regret.

"You think the department will let him get away with killing police officers?" Shisui asked, raising his voice to match Itachi's. "We're going to finish this, Itachi. Soon"

"Are we?" he asked in a bored tone, walking to the other side of the room. There was a few moments of silence, Shisui still glaring at Itachi. He couldn't help but feel like his cousin was blaming him for the missing file. And he didn't like it one bit. He sighed, taking a file from the top of the stack before flipping it open. He tried his best to look like he was concentrating, and it seemed to work as Ino and Kisame soon followed suit.

"I'm not staying here long, I don't care what Ibiki says," Kisame muttered. "I'm bored here already." Ino gave him a grin before mouthing 'me too'.

Itachi ran a hand through his bangs, brushing them from his face. He picked up the water glass, downing the last of its contents. But something outside caught his eye. He narrowed his eyes, trying to focus through the dark and rain outside. It was unmistakable. There was a car coming to a halt right outside. "Who else knows you're here?" he asked quickly, lowering the glass once more.

"Just Ibiki," Shisui replied, standing to follow Itachi's gaze. "That is definitely not Ibiki," Itachi muttered, pulling a gun from the fireplace behind him. The dark figure was making it's way up the pathway now, only a couple of steps from the doorway. Itachi walked to the front door, hiding the gun behind his back. Shisui and Kisame both trained their firearms at the door, waiting for their visitor. Itachi took a breath and waited a second after the knock before he opened the door.

The cool air hit him first, followed by small drops of rain. And then the sight of his brother on the other side of the door. "Sasuke," he whispered, unsure as to whether his eyes were deceiving him or not. Sasuke didn't return the greeting. In fact, all Itachi received in return was a glare, followed by an almighty punch to the chin.

Itachi had to blink for a moment to clear his head. The blow had caused his lip to burst and a small trickle of blood was flowing from the corner of his mouth. If it were anyone else who had delivered the blow, Itachi would've straightened up and returned it with equal force. But it was Sasuke on the other end and Itachi felt he deserved that punch and more. When he regained his senses, he dropped the gun to the floor and pulled his younger brother into a hug.

* * *

><p>"What the fucking hell are you playing at, Sasuke?" Shisui shouted, pacing the living room. "What were you thinking following me?" Itachi watched from the doorway, nursing his still bleeding lip. He could see that Shisui was absolutely furious.<p>

"You were acting extremely suspicious," he answered. "When you got so agitated this morning in the office, I knew something was up." He decided not to reveal the involvement of Orochimaru just yet. If they knew he had contacted Orochimaru he would be put in the firing line. Especially with Shisui being so uptight lately. He decided to play his cards close to his chest for a while.

Shisui chuckled quietly, muttering the word "suspicious" to himself. "I could arrest you for invasion of privacy, Sasuke."

Itachi narrowed his eyes, stepping into the room. "Shisui," he warned, "calm down. He's here now, he could help us." Shisui continued to glare daggers at the rest of the group.

"So, what now?" Kisame asked, breaking the awkward silence of the living room. "Are we still trying to locate this psycho-killer or are we going after Orochimaru to get the hell outta here?"

"I think we should concentrate on Orochimaru," Itachi cut in. "If we don't find him, we have no hope of catching the killer." It was a logical choice to concentrate on locating, the now missing, Orochimaru but he also had his personal reasons. Seeing the four police officers in the living room this evening really made him realise how much he hated being away from home.

"That sounds good," Shisui muttered from his spot on the other side of the living room.

"Shouldn't we give this guy a name?" Kisame asked, rubbing his chin. "I mean, we can't keep calling him 'the killer' forever."

"What would you suggest?"

"Well," Kisame began slowly, "I'm reading these articles in this report. They're headlines from when this guy was active. They called him The Anaesthetist Killer."

"Call him what you want," Itachi replied, flicking through another file he had found on the pile.

"Actually," Sasuke said, sitting up straight, tilting his head. "I have some new information on him." The three agents nearest him looked up at him expectantly. But the youngest Uchiha's gaze was fixed securely on the eldest. "Shisui, remember that girl from Monday?" His cousin turned to face him, looked puzzled for a moment but quickly nodded. "She fit victimology perfectly."

"It looks like he is still active," Itachi whispered to himself.

"But, she had an unusually large amount of temazepam in her system. It was three times higher than previous victims-"

"This makes no sense," Shisui shouted. "Why is he active again all of a sudden?"

"Maybe he was never inactive," Itachi said evenly, eyeing Shisui.

"Relax, you guys." Ino stood from her seat on the couch. "We just need to sit down and figure it out," she said, her voice had a lilting tone to it, like they could figure it out there and then and go home happy. "He was murdering from 1975 to 1982. Then he disappeared."

"Why?" Shisui whispered quietly, to himself more than anyone else.

"Where was Orochimaru in '82?" Kisame asked, turning to Itachi. Itachi shook his head and shrugged.

"He was off the grid at that stage." Itachi's head had started to spin once again, the pain-killers still weren't kicking in yet. He had so many dates roaming around in his head that it was difficult to place potential whereabouts of Orochimaru at that time. He had connections in so many countries. Heck, it was only last week he was in France discussing this very same man. They knew so much about him, yet they could never track the man. They only solid evidence they ever had of him was from photographs or CCTV footage. Itachi's eyes snapped open at the realisation. "The photograph," he whispered. The field-agents looked to him expecting all the answers to their questions. "That photograph from Syria was dated to 1990 by the lab."

"So it's entirely possible he spent the missing years in the Middle-east with Orochimaru," Shisui called. Itachi nodded, but his eyes remained narrowed.

"Orochimaru must have had some leverage. The profile suggests this guy wouldn't stop killing for nobody," Kisame offered. "Maybe he continued over there?"

"I could try get in touch with officials; see if I can access murder reports for those years?" Itachi nodded to Ino; she grabbed the laptop from the coffee table and immediately started typing.

"Kenchi Haruno said in his interview that the photograph was the last taken of the three of them before they left the Middle-east," Itachi murmured. "Orochimaru came back to Japan in the early nineties. If he came back, why would the killer stay out there alone?"

"He wouldn't," Sasuke answered matter of factly.

"Exactly," the older Uchiha whispered. "Maybe he has been active, but we missed it." Itachi walked over to Ino, his head spinning from all the information doing laps inside. "Ino, put that on hold for a second. Search the unsolved murders database. Highlight the women who had Temazepam in their system, then eliminate those who don't fit the victimology."

"On it," she mumbled, typing furiously. "Shall I isolate results from Tokyo City?" Itachi thought for a moment, looking at the computer screen. Maybe the reason they missed him was because they were looking in the wrong places. It made a lot of sense now that he thought about it.

"No," he snapped. "Show the results from the whole country."

"Oh my god," she whispered. Itachi's eyes flew to hers, his breath caught in his throat. "Since 1991, there have been 143 such reported cases. All victims had trace amounts of the drug in their system." Her voice shook as she rattled off the information on her screen. She sighed when she looked over her results, a frown gracing her face. "They were all reported in different cities, or different stations. It's probably why they were never connected."

"Geez, isn't their someone who looks for this sorta thing?" Kisame mumbled, shaking his head in disbelief.

"He isn't finished yet," Shisui said, taking a seat. "We had a fresh victim Monday." This was absolutely ridiculous. This many people had died already and no one had noticed it. How had no one seen the pattern? Itachi felt a failure. So many girls had been killed by this man and he didn't even know his name. He sighed in defeat, raising his hands to rest on his head.

The silence of the room was interrupted when he heard something outside. He moved closer to the large, bay window, focusing his eyes on the van pulling up outside the house. "Somehow, I don't think this is someone else from the office," he whispered, pulling his gun from his holster.

Sasuke walked out to the hallway and peered through the glass of the front door. Ino and Kisame looked shocked when Itachi pulled out his gun, but adapted quickly, pulling their own firearms out and standing out of view of the window. Itachi walked carefully toward the window, trying to identify the strangers emerging from the van. The moon shone on the five men outside, highlighting the firearms in their hands. His eyes widened, and he barely had the words "get down" called, before gunfire sounded throughout the living room and the large window was shattered into hundreds of pieces.

Itachi covered his head to protect it from the shards of glass. The gunshots stopped then. There was no sound except the blood pounding in his ears. Itachi felt adrenaline start to surge throughout his body. Slowly, he stood up, his back pressed to the wall. Small drops of water were floating through the hole where the window once was, creating small puddles on the sill.

"Do you think we got 'em?" he heard someone call.

He took a sharp intake of air before placing one foot in front of the window frame, leaning all his weight on the limb and firing his gun. The men were visibly shocked when one of their own fell to the wet ground, they shouted obscenities, taking their weapons and opening fire on the house once more. Itachi had just slammed himself back against the wall before the heave of bullets sprayed through the living room. He held four digits up to Kisame – who had his own body pressed against the same wall- he nodded carefully before taking a breath.

They waited until the onslaught was over, and the men reloaded their weapons before they leaned forward, shooting with accuracy once more. Kisame managed to hit a small, white-haired man in the shoulder, before Itachi grabbed him and pulled him to the floor. Kisame flashed Itachi a glare, but it quickly subsided when another round of bullets was fired right in the spot he had previously held residence. The two men stood back up, hugging the wall as they did so.

The men outside were shouting to one another outside but the words were incoherent through the rain and the beating of Itachi's heart in his throat. Sasuke – using the moment of confusion between the assailants- opened the door were he stood, and fired his weapon until the round was empty. He shot another of the men, and he slumped to the ground were he stood.

There were only two left outside the farmhouse now. They seemed to be hesitating.

A split-second later and the men threw their weapons to the ground, retreating back to the white van they had arrived in. Itachi felt rage surge inside of him. They had attacked them out of the blue and were now retreating. The tubby, flame-haired man was barking orders at the smaller male. Itachi pinpointed him as the leader. He drew his .22 once more and took aim at the red-head. But when the small, brunette ran past his line of vision, he lost concentration, hitting the windscreen instead. Just like the window of the safe house, it fragmented into hundreds of tiny pieces. The more rounded of the two men was not a patient person, it seemed. The brunette tried to open the van door but seemed to be having difficulty. To rectify the situation, the red-head shot him in the chest before hitting the gas and speeding down the country road.

And just like that, the country air was still and the house was silent once more. If it wasn't for the bloodied bodies on the front lawn and the shards of glass littering the front room, Itachi wouldn't have believed it had happened. His heart was still pounding in his chest; his back still pressed to the wall as he willed his breathing to even out.

In the shadows across the room he saw Shisui whip out his cellphone and punch in some numbers. The sound of the keypad beeping under the older Uchiha's fingertips was the only sound in the room.

* * *

><p>Only minutes later and they were heading towards the Police Department in the centre of the city. Their location had been leaked and they didn't know how. Itachi decided their only course of action was to return to the unit and work out a plan. Something had begun that night. Their lives had been threatened and Itachi knew it was just the start.<p>

He jumped in Sasuke's car with him, while the other's took Shisui's car. It was a two-hour drive back to the Police Department, and Itachi felt anxious the whole time. He had asked Sasuke about Koichi and Sakura, casually. The one good thing about going back to the Department was that he would be nearer to his son in case the worst happened. Sasuke had answered with the standard Uchiha response: "Fine." Itachi simply nodded at his small answer. He knew the younger man was probably just shaken up. He had seemed on edge for a while. Itachi looked him over for a moment. His eyes were set on the road and his hands gripped the wheel. There was something unusual about Sasuke. But given their current situation, he was prepared to drop the perusal of his younger brother.

* * *

><p>It was still raining when they arrived back. Sasuke parked as close to the entrance as possible. Itachi walked briskly towards the doors, looking up he could see the light in Ibiki's office was still on. Shisui had told them that Ibiki would be there when they arrived at the Department. However, when Itachi entered the lobby he saw Ibiki there waiting for them. He had two armed officers waiting with him, obviously preparing for the worst. Behind him he heard Shisui pull up outside.<p>

"Uchiha, report," he boomed, walking towards the younger man. Itachi cleared his throat to speak but before he could recount his tale, Ino appeared beside him. Her hair was wet from running to the entrance in the rain and her cheeks were flushed. She was out of breath and her eyes were unusually wide. When she tugged at his sleeve uncharacteristically, he knew something was wrong.

"What is it, Nara?" Ibiki asked gruffly.

"Sir," she mumbled, looking between him and Itachi. Eventually her eyes settled on Itachi. "Sakura just called me," she waited a moment, taking a breath to ease her aching lungs. Itachi stared at her, waiting for whatever news she had of his wife. "Koichi never made it home from school today."

Itachi's eyes narrowed in response. Without hesitation, he started towards the main doors. Sasuke handed him his keys on his way out the door, knowing where his brother was going.

"Uchiha, what do you think-"

"I'm going to see Sakura," Itachi called over his shoulder to Ibiki, cutting the Superintendent General off. Ibiki pursed his lips, closing his eyes. He obviously knew he wouldn't change the mind of the Uchiha.

"Go with him Ino, Sasuke. Kisame and Shisui stay here. I want to know everything."

* * *

><p>It was only a few minutes drive to Sakura's apartment but to Itachi it felt like a lifetime. Anger was radiating from him in waves making the two agents in the car feel a tad uncomfortable.<p>

"Why wasn't Sakura there to pick him up?" he asked in an even tone.

Ino answered quickly, defending her friend. "She had surgery this afternoon. Her neighbour was asked to collect him but when she got there, Koichi was already..."

_Taken, _he spat. Words couldn't describe the overwhelming feeling of inadequacy surging through him. He knew last week that something like this would happen. If only Ibiki hadn't been so reckless. Now because of him, Kakashi was dead and Koichi as gone. He bashed his hand off the staring wheel, easing some of the frustration he felt. Sasuke jumped a little at the sudden violent outburst from his brother.

Itachi pulled his phone from his pocket when he felt the device vibrate through his jacket pocket. He flipped the cellphone and pressed it to his ear. "Uchiha Itachi," he muttered sternly, his eyes narrowed as he turned the corner to Sakura's apartment block.

"..."

"Hello?" he shouted again; sick of these eerie phonecalls already.

"Hello, Officer Uchiha."

His eyes narrowed at the unfamiliar voice on the other end of the line. "Who is this?"

He heard laughing, followed by a thick fit of coughing. "My name is Orochimaru, Officer." Itachi narrowed his eyes even further. His hands had a death grip on the wheel. He had finally spoken to the man who had caused all of this mess. Instinctively, he wanted to shout for the release of his son – he knew Orochimaru had him- but his training told him not to. Instead, his kept his voice calm, listening as the man continued.

"I'm having a small get-together this evening. We'd be delighted for you to join us."

"Where will I find you?" Itachi asked quietly. The car came to a halt outside Sakura's building. He could see a couple of police officers outside her building.

"You know my diner in the middle of the city. Your brother was here before, he can show you."

Itachi snapped his head in Sasuke's direction, staring at his confused expression. Moments later he snapped the cellphone shut, and deposited back into his pocket. "Ino, tell Sakura I'll be back soon with Koichi."The woman nodded before disappearing from the vehicle. She knew better than to prod Itachi for information. Sasuke stared back at his brother, raising an eyebrow.

"What?"

Itachi regarded him a few more moments before turning his head back to the room and starting the engine once more. "Orochimaru has him. We're going there now."

* * *

><p>Itachi stepped through the doors of the diner. He had instructed Sasuke to wait outside; unsure as to how this evening would play out. One thing was sure, Orochimaru had abducted Koichi for a reason; he wanted something from Itachi.<p>

Itachi found it unusual that there was no one in the diner – given that it was a large eating establishment in the centre of the city; it should have been packed. He moved further into the large, open room. The lights were dimmed and cigarette smoke filled the room. He stood by the bar a few moments, waiting for his host to arrive. He didn't have to wait long as soon he heard a familiar voice.

"Dad!" Itachi spun around, eyes wide. He was greeted by the sight of his son running toward him from the other end of the bar. He bent down quickly, scooping the young boy up in his arms. His eyes were large and bright, his excitement evident. Itachi quickly scanned the boy for injuries, running his hands over his head and checking his arms and legs. He tried his best to hide his utter glee at seeing his son again, but couldn't help placing a kiss on his son's forehead. "I knew you wouldn't leave me," the young boy whispered as his father buried his face in his hair.

"How very touching."

Itachi turned his head to seek out the owner of the voice that he had just heard. An old man, he recognised as Orochimaru, appeared from nowhere further across the room. He had an evil smirk on his face, and it didn't sit right with Itachi. "Sasuke is outside. I want you to go to him," he whispered to the young boy. He lowered Koichi to the ground, but he didn't go anywhere; he simply stared up at his father. "I'll be there soon. I promise." Itachi tried his best to smile so Koichi would believe him, but it turned out as more a forced, pained expression. Keeping promises he made to his son was not his strong point. He hadn't followed through on any he had made over the past few months. But Koichi seemed to believe him. He grinned once more before running happily to the exit to find his uncle.

Itachi's gaze snapped back to Orochimaru after following his son to the exit. The old man was smirking eagerly. Itachi's eyes settled into a harsh glare. He had gone into this situation blind. He had no idea what Orochimaru was planning and because of the earlier assault, he had no ammunition left in his gun. When Ino told him Koichi was missing, he forgot all about the acts this man had committed and the possible situations he could find himself in. His child was in danger. And that was it. Thinking back, it was reckless; now he could pay the price for those actions.

"Relax, I didn't hurt your son," the older man ground out in a raspy voice. "Although, I should have after what you did to _my_ son."

Itachi watched him walk toward a table not far from where he was standing. He couldn't recall his information revealing a son being born to Orochimaru. The older man seemed to sense this when he saw Itachi's puzzled look.

"Kabuto..." he whispered; knew Itachi would hear him. Itachi's eyes relaxed from their previous, narrowed expression. It made sense now. It fell into place. How Kabuto was connected; how his fingerprints were found in Itachi's apartment and why Kabuto had been following him.

"You had my son abducted in return for what I did to Kabuto, some eight years ago... yet you hand him back to me now without complaint?" Itachi asked in a even tone. "It makes little sense."

"It wasn't because of Kabuto, Officer Uchiha. Well partly..." His smirk grew even further up his face. "But how else could I lure you of hiding?"

Itachi raised an eyebrow. He had to find the leak in his office, Orochimaru knew too much and now he was left with little doubt that this man had been the one behind the attempt on his life earlier this evening.

"It is true, Itachi, that you and I have unfinished business. You were the one responsible for my arrest. Now," he raised his hands in defeat, "I was the one stupid enough to get caught. That's not what bugs me. What really makes my blood boil," his hands dug into the arms of the chair and Itachi could see a vein in his temple start to throb, "is that you could kill my son in cold blood."

"Cold blood?" Itachi shouted across the room. "You had him shadow me for weeks. He was outside my apartment, with a gun trained at my door. He threatened my family!"

"And you killed mine!" Orochimaru shouted back, knocking a glass from the table. The shattering noise was enough to stir someone from the next room.

"And no, Itachi, I did not have him follow you. I was only made aware of your existence when I returned to Tokyo last week." Itachi's eyes narrowed again. Observing the man in front of him carefully. He wished for the elder man to elaborate but he got no answers only more questions. "You'll have to ask your wife about the... 'shadowing'."

His chest constricted painfully. He had no clue as to what Orochimaru was talking about, but he felt a fool. If Sakura had connections to this man – and it was entirely possible- then his whole career, and life, would be in jeopardy.

"Go home, Uchiha." Orochimaru sounded defeated when he spoke. "You're not the one I want at the present time."

Itachi remained silent, still reeling from the events of this evening.

"Spend time with your son," he whispered. "Because I'll be seeing you soon."

"I have a warrant for your arrest-"

"Do you know how many weapons are trained on you right now, Officer?" he snapped, his head facing Itachi once more. "Go," he repeated once more.

Itachi stared him down until the older man looked away. His hand come up to grasp his forehead and Itachi could tell he was in pain. It took him a moment to find the will to leave the diner; wanted nothing more than to rid the world of people like Orochimaru. But for Koichi sake, he turned and started towards the exit. Besides, he needed answers from Sakura.

"Tell your brother I said 'thank you'," he heard Orochimaru shout after him. "He was quiet... beneficial."

Itachi could only narrow his eyes and give a low growl as he pushed the door open. _Sasuke._

* * *

><p>"Like his father, isn't he?" Orochimaru mused. His small laugh filled the air as a figure stepped toward him, a glass of something strong in his hand. Orochimaru took another coughing fit, grabbing a tissue, he pressed it to his mouth. "That same glare," he laughed when he had removed the material from his mouth.<p>

Orochimaru's tone turned serious when he turned and faced the man. "I want him gone." His fist slammed off the rickety table beside him, his face was a scowl.

"No, Orochimaru. I won't do it."

Orochimaru sent him a glare, "You will."

"I won't!" the other man shouted this time, almost venomous in tone.

Orochimaru growled in defeat, clenching his own hand tightly. "Well then, you can take care of a young woman for me. She's your type," he laughed. "Pink hair."

"Counts as a red-head. No?"

* * *

><p>Itachi entered the small apartment like he had several times over the past few months. Except this time, Police swarmed throughout. They all looked at him, shocked, when he entered with the young boy they were searching for, in his arms. Itachi felt uncomfortable with the looks and so walked a couple of steps into the apartment to find the Officer in charge. Luckily, Genma had been sent to operate the investigation. He whispered a few words to the man, explaining the details. Genma nodded carefully and answered him with a stern look. Genma motioned to his officers and they began to pack up their things a file out of the house. While they gathered their belongings, Itachi walked toward the kitchen. He knew Sakura would be there and she wouldn't be pleased to see him. He took a breath before entering the small room.<p>

She sat slumped at the table, her head propped up by an arm. She looked miserable, and rightly so. As he passed the threshold to the kitchen, she looked up to meet his gaze. She looked frightened for a moment but it passed when she seen her son in his arms.

"Koichi," she mumbled, stumbling from her seat. Koichi struggled against Itachi's grasp. He lowered the boy, allowing him to run into his mother's embrace.

The young boy didn't say a word as his mother kissed him all over his head, on his cheeks; his nose; his forehead; his eyelids. Everywhere. Small tears escaped from her eyes as she pulled him close to her, never wanting to let him out of her sight again. Itachi felt slightly out of place, being the one to cause her recent heartbreak, and so he left the kitchen to return to the living room.

Ino and Sasuke were there, talking in small voices. They gave sad smiles as he left the kitchen to walk towards them. "You okay?" Ino asked quietly as he came to a stop. He merely nodded.

"I'm going home," he said finally, his tone even. "I need to get some rest."

Ino nodded with a smile, she had decided to stay with Sakura for the night – as did Sasuke- just in case. Itachi left soon after, his mind and heart heavy with disappointment. Disappointment in his own capabilities as an officer, a father and a husband.

* * *

><p>Sakura made her way back down the staircase. She had just put Koichi to bed after an extremely stressful day for him. He had so many questions about Itachi, and Sakura simply had no answers. She herself was utterly confused. Ino had informed her that Itachi was alive when she first appeared at her apartment. Her heart had sped up at the idea of Itachi being alive, so much so that she felt like she couldn't breath. However, her missing son was the only thing on her mind at the time and so she sent Itachi to the back of her mind. Until now. Now she felt absolute fury. He had deceived them. He had caused all of them so much pain and Sakura was so angry she wanted to scream.<p>

Sakura knew that she and her husband had a lot to settle, and she'd be damned if that didn't happen soon. As she reached the living room, she found only Ino and Sasuke there. She crossed her arms over her chest, glancing into her kitchen. But he wasn't there. She glared at the two individuals on her sofa. "Where is he?" she asked quietly. Her eyes were narrowed and her lips pursed.

"He went home," Sasuke offered quickly. To this Sakura simply raised an eyebrow. He had come back from the dead after letting her son be kidnapped and now he simply 'went home' ? Unacceptable. Sakura shook her head, furious. The rage she felt earlier was nothing compared to how she felt now.

She had to see him. She wanted answers. She wanted an apology that would do no good but to assuage her frustration. She uncrossed her arms, grabbing her handbag from the sidetable. "Do you mind looking after Koichi?" she asked slowly, still not looking directly at her friends. "I need to speak to Itachi."

"Sure," Ino managed to say quickly, not wanting to upset her bestfriend. Sakura nodded quickly before walking briskly to the front door, slamming it behind her.

* * *

><p>Her knuckles ground against the door of the house she once lived in. Her anger had calmed slightly on the drive there, but she still felt betrayed and hurt. She crossed her arms over her chest, waiting for an answer. Moments later, the door swung open to reveal the visage of her husband. She gave him as evil a glare as she could manage before she pushed past him, and entered the living room to her left.<p>

She stood in the middle of the room, waiting for him to follow her. Her stood in the doorway a few moments looking her over. But she wasn't looking back. Instead, her arms were crossed in an expression of hostility and her gaze was directed elsewhere. Itachi walked further into the room, stopping a metre or two away from her.

"How long is this going to continue, Itachi?" she asked quietly, her eyes still narrowed.

It wasn't the the question he had been expecting. He had expected her to shout and accuse him of hurting her and Koichi. _He had wanted her to welcome him home. _But she didn't. Instead she refused to look at him and asked him how long he intended to hurt her and their son.

"I can only apologise, Sakura."

Her head snapped to his direction. Her eyes no longer held fury but anguish. "You can only apologise?" she asked quietly. "Apologise?" she screamed to him. "He had him. Orochimaru had _Koichi. _Your son!" her voice didn't lower as she continued to speak. "And you can only apologise?"

"What do you want me to say, Sakura?" he asked quietly, his voice low in defeat. "Do you think I'm comfortable with this situation I've found myself in? That I've dragged my family into?"

Her eyes softened, but she kept her arms tight on her chest. The tone of desperation in his voice was not enough for to fully forgive him. She sighed, moving to take a seat on the sofa. This whole situation was a dire mess and she was tired of it. So sick and tired of worrying and wondering if everything would work out for the best.

Itachi watched her as she buried her face in her hands. He didn't fail to notice her eyes were red and puffy; not just from worry but exhaustion.

A question had been playing on Itachi's mind since he returned earlier, but until now he had no opportunity to investigate it. He waited a moment until he was sure Sakura had calmed before he broached the subject.

He inhaled deeply, closing his eyes momentarily. "What connection did you have to Yakushi Kabuto?"

She looked at him in confusion for a moment, as if she hadn't heard the name before. He hoped that maybe she had forgotten him, but alas, her quick answer decided not. "You asked me that same question eight years ago," she whispered. "I answered you then."

"Not completely truthful," he shot back at her. Orochimaru's words had haunted him until now. Eight years ago Sakura had told him that she and Kabuto were simply friends. But he didn't believe her anymore. She had some deeper connection to that man and his father and Itachi wanted answers.

Sakura was glaring at him again, but deep down she knew she would have to give up her information. She knew her husband better than he knew himself sometimes. He wouldn't back down.

"We had a relationship," she said finally, looking away from him, ashamed. "It was during our first year of college. It only lasted a few months though. He dropped out of college that year and we broke up shortly after."

"Do you know why he left?"

She nodded carefully, her eyes softening. "Something about his biological father." Itachi nodded at her answer. It fit with Orochimaru's story this evening.

"His biological father is Orochimaru," Itachi whispered to her then. She looked back to him, her eyes wide. She knew she could thrust his words. He wouldn't share false information with her.

Sakura stood from the sofa, her arms wrapping around her waist. She felt embarrassed. All this time, she had blamed Itachi for things he couldn't control. Orochimaru was one of those things. Somehow she didn't quiet hate him as much as she had in recent months. Fortunately for her, she could blame her actions on her pregnancy hormones. Her heart lurched from her chest then. It was the first time she thought about the baby all evening. She realised that her child would have a father afterall. For that she was grateful.

"I better go," she whispered then. She gave him a small smile and walked slowly towards the hallway. She had just passed him when he grabbed hold of her fingers. She stopped walking and her heart sped up a little at the contact. She swallowed the lump in her throat before she turned slightly to look at him. He was staring at the opposite wall, ignoring her gaze. Yet he held onto her fingers tightly.

"I realise my leaving was... painful. It didn't do any good for the case neither. And Koichi was in far greater danger while I was gone than if I was by his side." He turned to face her, his eyes hard and determined. "I'm sorry, Sakura."

She couldn't find the words to answer him. His absence was even more difficult than he thought. But instead of thinking and reliving the stress and pain of the past week, she stepped towards him and hugged him. Her arms wrapped around his neck and she buried her face in his chest.

Itachi was stunned by her actions. Was this not the woman who swore to hate him on several occasions in the past few months? Was this not the same Sakura who told him to stay away from her? He had to blink momentarily to make sure it was, indeed, the same woman in his arms. However, when her small, fragile voice filled his ears, he knew it was her. "I'm sorry, too."

They had stayed in that embrace for a while after. Itachi was happy to let her rest against him for those few, perfect minutes, in fact, he welcomed it. It had taken weeks to fully absorb the fact that she had left him but only minutes for him to want her wholeheartedly again. Slowly, his own arms wrapped around her, pulling her into him more. He heard her sniff lightly into shirt; he hoped she wasn't crying.

She pulled away from him then with a small sob. He saw that her eyes were still red but she was smiling. He returned the smile, their limbs still draped around each other. It took him a few moments to work up the courage, but eventually he inclined his head, bending down to her level and placing his lips on hers. Sakura responded almost immediately, moving her lips against his. One of his hands left her back to cup her cheek, and soon he had deepened their kiss.

However something was annoying the younger woman. She pulled away, furrowing her brow and staring at his mouth. "What happened?" she asked quietly, fingering the small cut on his lower lip. A thoughtful expression appeared on Itachi's, normally impassive, face, before he mumbled something.

"Sasuke hit me," he laughed, his lips crashing on hers again. Sakura let out a small giggle at his eagerness, all those months of anger dissipating with each stroke of his tongue against hers.

* * *

><p><strong>End of Chapter.<br>**

* * *

><p>Finally, I hear you yelling! :P<p>

You had to wait six whole chapters for some ItaSaku love! (Hopefully, it was worth it!)

Hope you enjoyed this chapter. See you next week! (Regardless of what happens this week, Synthesis is my top priority.)

All my love!


	7. The Reconciliation

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

* * *

><p><strong>Title:<strong> Synthesis

**Author:** Absolute. Tranquillity

**Pairings:** ItaSaku

**Genre: **Family/Crime

**Word count:** 5488

**Rating:** M

**Notes: **This chapter contains mature content. Rest assured, if you don't feel comfortable reading 'M' content you can skip to the next chapter. There is nothing knew here, except some ItaSaku fluff.

Also, Hanah192, thank you very much! She reminded me that I did promise a double update a few weeks back and due to family problems I never delivered. Expect that in the next few hours. I'm going to have a wee break, beta the next chapter and then upload it straight away.

Enjoy and review! ;)

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><p><strong>Synthesis<br>Chapter Seven  
><strong>

* * *

><p>Itachi had become rather uncomfortable standing up for so long, with the smaller woman pressed against him. To address the problem, he had broken their kiss and walked a couple of steps backwards to fall onto the sofa. His hands were still caressing hers; Sakura merely looked at him confused for a moment, unsure with his new position. His eyes latched on hers -she didn't dare look away- as he sat forward, his hands left her smaller ones and placed them on her hips, pulling her into his lap. Sakura gasped as she fell forward. Her eyes closed and she reached out her hands instinctively; they landed on his chest. When she reopened her eyes, she found they were right by Itachi's. He was staring at her, a bright spark evident in those <em>too-deep, <em>eyes. She could feel his breath ghost over her lips and she closed her eyes slowly at the sensation. Her own breathing had become ragged and uneven at the close contact. She leaned in and pressed her lips gently to his. She took a moment to level her breathing before she let her hands travel from his chest, up his neck and into his hair.

Sakura felt Itachi's hands tighten on her hips before they left her completely. The loss of heat made her whimper – so quietly, it was barely audible. But Itachi heard her and Sakura could practically feel his smirk rising. She felt Itachi tap the back of her thigh gently and her eyes flew open. Sakura's knee had started to feel numb and when she followed Itachi's gaze downwards, she found the cause of the sensation. It was digging into his thigh from where she had fallen moments earlier. She withdrew her knee -causing Itachi to groan softly- she muttered a small apology against his lips before settling her legs either side of his hips, so that she was straddling him.

She looked back to Itachi again to find him smirking, daring her to continue. She ignored the grin, and somehow found the courage to grind her hips against him as she lowered her head to kiss his lips once. Sakura couldn't help smirking herself when she heard him give a low growl at her actions. Sakura took advantage of her new-found height – since she was on her knees, and he was seated – finally feeling like the more domineering of the two.

Itachi had, finally, decided to react. He had let her have her fun, but now it was his turn. His left hand pressed into her lower back, pushing her more against him. Sakura gasped, mewling weakly. He gave another smirk, taking advantage of her open mouth to delve his tongue inside. His free hand went into her hair, pushing her to him and effectively deepening their kiss. His tongue danced with hers, drawing her further into his mouth. Her small moans felt like music to his ears and her humming only served to relax him further. He finally let his over-active mind rest; the only thing he concentrated on was the moment and their kiss. But even that was hard when the smaller woman started to massage his scalp and press herself flat against him.

A few, short moments later, Sakura could feel her lungs start to ache. She groaned into Itachi's mouth, letting him know she needed to pull back. But he didn't let her. His tongue plunged deeper into her mouth, his grip on her hip increased, and his hand tightened in her hair, making her cry out at the sharp pain on her scalp. Her own hands flew to his chest, pushing herself off him, forcefully.

Her eyes snapped open in a serious glare; her swollen, red lips parted and she began breathing erratically. Her throat ached painfully from the lack of oxygen. His eyes opened slowly, and Sakura saw they were hard and serious once more. It was a far cry from the soft, apologetic... almost sorrowful look in his eyes earlier that evening.

"I apologise," he said swiftly, only moments later.

Sakura furrowed her brow, unsure as to what, exactly, he was apologizing for. She knew something was the matter with him. Something to make the, usually gentle and considerate lover, harsh and callous. She bit her lip, staring into his eyes; searching for the answer. She thought that maybe it was just lust. Desire. It had been a while since they had been intimate, since their feud had drove a wedge between them in recent months.

In fact, the last time they had had sex was the same night they conceived the child Sakura was now carrying. They hadn't had sex since that night and it was two months, still, before that night since they had made love last. The date fit perfectly, even if that night hadn't been perfect.

Sakura closed her eyes, cringing at the memory of that night. Itachi's birthday was usually a quietly celebrated occasion. But not this year. This year, Shisui had insisted they _go out_ to celebrate, getting blind drunk in the process. She hadn't wanted to go, with the fact that Itachi's job had them barely on speaking terms, but she knew what it would look like if she didn't attend.

It had been exactly like she had imagined. Sakura and Ino had spent most of the night sitting at the bar together, whilst Itachi let his friends ply him full of alcohol. She remembered her utter disgust at the end of the night when she saw Itachi. His eyes were half shut and she could practically smell the scotch on him. She rolled her eyes at him – which didn't go unnoticed by her husband- and exited the bar ahead of him. He followed soon after; he had no choice as most of their friends had already gone home.

The taxi ride home was silent and awkward. Sakura remembered her fury radiating off of her. She sat almost pressed into the door of the cab, just so as to put some distance between them. She was absolutely enraged. Their marriage was in little more than pieces, yet he pretended like nothing was wrong; choosing to spend his one free evening in months with his cousin and other work colleagues. She could feel him staring at her, burning holes in the side of her head, the whole ride home, but she refused to look at him. She knew he was probably raging too, as she had practically ignored her husband and his friends the entire night.

She had stormed inside the house that night, intent on going straight to bed. But Itachi – having somehow sobered up on the ride home- was in no mood for her tantrums. "We need to talk," she recalled him saying softly as she reached the kitchen doorway.

The next half hour was another explosive argument. She remembered, shouting, screaming and even a little crying on her part. What she recalled most of all, however, was not the arguing but the kissing, caressing and touching. She didn't know when he had gotten so close during their heated fight, but he seemed to realize just how close their bodies were just as she did.

Soon she was pressed against the wall as he pushed himself into her more. His hands roamed her body and he couldn't seem to kiss her fast, or hard, enough for either of their liking. Looking back, Sakura was so glad Koichi was staying with his grandmother's, for that night was the definition of rough sex to her.

It had never seemed like the most romantic place in the house, but the kitchen wall served a unique purpose that night. As did the stairs and their bed (several times).

The following morning, Sakura was hoarse from the amount of screaming she had done the night before. She woke up late, at almost noon, soon finding that Itachi was nowhere to be found. She had practically growled in frustration when she realized he was probably at work. Again.

In the end, neither the argument, nor the sex had done them any good. Itachi returned home late that night as usual; Sakura and Koichi were already asleep. They never spoke of that night again. Part of her wished he was drunk enough to forget it had happened. She knew otherwise.

And, sadly, life continued that way. Their arguments had become less frequent but the distance between them was ever expanding and it was only two, short, soul-draining months before Sakura had had enough.

Itachi sudden, deep sigh bought her back to that moment in the living room. Sakura sat back, so that she was sitting on his knees. "Itachi," she called softly, tilting her head to try get a better view of his face. At some point in the past few minutes he had turned away from her and shut his eyes. Slowly, she reached out a hand lay it against his cheek. He turned his head to face her then but his eyes remained closed.

His deep breaths and sudden vulnerable expression made her heart melt. Without thinking, she placed her forehead on his, earning a small 'hum' from him. She knew what was wrong.

Her thumb stroked his high cheekbones in a small, tender and affectionate action. "Another migraine?" she asked, quietly, softly. He didn't answer, simply continued breathing deeply.

If Sakura didn't know better, she would have said he was asleep. His eyes were shut, but not forced and his breathing was deep and even. He looked so vulnerable at that moment, that Sakura felt uneasy. He was the strongest person she knew, the most intelligent. She believed in him at all times, even when she hated him. She wanted him back to his former self. No, _she needed him _back to his former self. The person he was before his job had become so much bigger than either of them. His position could test even the strongest of people and he was no exception. The worry and anxiety of his current case had caused months of pent up stress to descend on him. Sakura knew her actions the following day would hurt him further, but they were necessary.

She breathed a small sigh and removed her hand from his cheek before proceeding to rub it against her other. Itachi cracked open an eye to see what the noise was. He simply stared at her for a moment, puzzled as to why she was generating heat from the friction of her hands massaging each other. He opened his eyes fully, when she stopped and reached out for him. He held his breath when her hot hands rested on each of his aching temples. He emitted a quit, choked sound but soon grew accustomed to the feeling.

"Relax," she whispered, as the palms of her hands caressed both sides of his head. "Close your eyes." She began a small routine soon, when he had become used to both the contact and the heat. Her palms rubbed small circles against his temples, before the pads of her thumbs traced from the center of his forehead, past his temples and down his cheeks. When her small procedure had ended she would begin again. Itachi could feel his trembling lessen after only a few, short ministrations. He vaguely remembered his mother suggesting this particular method of pain relief when he had complained of headaches in his youth. But his hands never seemed to do quiet so good a job as Sakura was doing.

He hummed quietly when she refreshed her routine with a new practice. Her thumbs rubbed small circles into his temples – the epicenter of the pain most of the time- pushing deeper and deeper into his skin only to soften considerably soon after, when she received a small hiss from him.

She continued her padding for some time, listening to his breathing become less ragged and more controlled. His brow slowly started to unclench and she felt him relaxing underneath her. A small, victory smile flashed across her face and moments later her pace slowed considerably, before stopping altogether.

"Don't stop," he said evenly, only milliseconds later. His fingers nudged her gently, coaxing her into continuing. Never before had a headache dissipated as fast and the fact that it was Sakura who had erased it, made the experience so much more pleasing. His eyes had opened earlier when she ceased her ministrations on his temples, and now he was staring straight into her eyes, with her hands still intertwined with his on his head. The closeness they shared at that moment was immense.

Sakura inclined her head to place a small, chaste but beautiful kiss on his lips. He would have very much liked to have continued that kiss for some time, but Sakura broke it, removing one leg from his side and falling to rest beside him.

She sighed a few minutes later when the silence had become too much for her. In truth, Itachi's headaches were starting to worry her, even though she knew they couldn't be too serious if they past so easily. "Promise me you'll have that head CT soon?" she murmured. Sakura wanted nothing more than to march him down to the hospital herself tomorrow morning, but it wasn't possible. Instead, she'd have to trust that he would follow her advice. But then, if it clashed with something case related -and she was sure it would- Sakura knew which he would prioritize.

Her husband didn't answer her, he simply took her hand in his and squeezed it gently.

"Talk to me," she whispered some time later. He was silent for too long, she decided, and she just wanted to hear him speak. His blank, expressionless, almost exhausted gaze was unnerving and Sakura merely wanted to know that he was still _alive. _Still thinking, still feeling, still calculating – as he always was. It scared her to think that he could give up so lightly.

The man she knew would never give up. Eight years ago, she had told him it was pointless to fight Orochimaru's hold on the streets of Yokohama. But he refused to listen. He brushed off her negativity and in the end he won. He put one of the most dangerous men in the world behind bars,along with many of his cronies. All because he and his team flat-out refused to give up. His strong will was part of the reason she had fallen for him.

Looking at him, Sakura saw but a shadow of the man she had met all those years ago.

"What do you wish to talk about?" he asked lightly.

"I don't know," she said weakly moments later, "I just thought you might need to vent. You know, share your feelings, thoughts... _fears_?"

Sakura was sure she heard him chuckle. She turned quickly to see, what could be described as a small smile, gracing his face. Her own face lit up. "Thank you," he muttered soon, gently rubbing her hand affectionately with the pad of his thumb.

It was some time before he spoke again. Sakura knew because she had counted the minutes that ticket by in silence.

"I have no clue how to proceed with this investigation," he said suddenly, breaking that silence and waking Sakura from her thoughts. She turned to face him, regarding him with a sad expression before swallowing thickly resting her head against his shoulder. She knew he would continue in his own good time.

"The Superintendent General has screwed us all over..."

She tilted her head slightly. "I don't understand."

Itachi closed his eyes and swallowed the lump in his throat. It wasn't that he was annoyed but rather more confused. "Last week, my job was simply to locate Orochimaru and place him under arrest," he said quietly, carefully. "But then Ibiki decided he would use the opportunity to investigate a series of murders."

"And Orochimaru?"

He sighed deeply. It sounded more like growl to Sakura. "Left to his own devices, in order for us to investigate the man seen shadowing him."

Sakura was no field agent, but even to her it sounded incredibly bizarre. Preposterous, even. It made her blood boil to think that her son's safety had been compromised because of Ibiki's sheer stupidity. Unconsciously, her grip on Itachi's hand tightened.

He turned his head slightly to look at her. A small glare had settled on her face. "I understand how you must be feeling," he said evenly. "I've felt the same for the past seven days."

Sakura didn't say a word, her rage had left her speechless. Her free hand tangled into her t-shirt.

"And now they're both free and I have no idea how to proceed."

"He had Koichi didn't he?" Sakura asked quickly, almost cutting him off. But she didn't care. At that moment all she could think about was the asshole who had abducted her son from school. Itachi merely nodded, confirming her worst fears. Orochimaru was a murderer, a criminal. She knew that better than anyone. What made her feel sick to her stomach was knowing that she had loved the son of that monster.

"Why didn't you do anything tonight, Itachi?" she snapped, still refusing to look at him. "You got Koichi back and left him alone?"

"I had no weapon, Sakura, no backup," he fired back quickly. "He knew I was vulnerable and he took advantage of it. All I was thinking about was returning Koichi to you, _safely._" His eyes narrowed in disgust just thinking about his interaction with the murderer. That damn smirk and gleeful eyes. Orochimaru had him right in his palm and he damn-well knew it.

"He mentioned you actually," he whispered, his earlier angered tone discarded. Sakura did look at him this time. She had very little to do with the man. He was an associate of her father many, _many_ years ago, yes. But that was it.

Itachi was staring at her, searching her face. Desperate he was, to see that she wasn't keeping anything from him when he asked her his next question. "When I questioned him as to why Kabuto was following me all those years ago," he paused, almost dramatically, his hand grasping hers tighter. Sakura felt uncomfortable but the look in his eyes told her not to move. She waited for him to continue, almost afraid of what he might say.

"..."

"He insisted that I ask _you."_

Sakura's brow knitted in confusion; a perplexed look crossing her face. She studied him for a moment, hoping that he was lying, testing her. But when his blank expression didn't change, she paled. Her mouth opened slightly as she tried to find words. But for the life of her, she couldn't find any. His words made no sense to her. If she held any answers they were subconscious ones, as at that moment she had no idea what Orochimaru had meant.

"How would I know why Kabuto was following you?" she asked, her voice even and strong. She gave a small laugh after as the meaning of his words sank in. "Do you think me a spy, Itachi?"she whispered. "Is that it? You believe I would marry you and have your child just so as to... _supply_ _them with information whenever or if ever __they were freed?_"

"Don't be foolish, Sakura," he cut her off, his voice louder than usual. "That's not what I think."

"Well, from your glaring and your accusatory tone, it's what I would deduce," she spat back.

His reply was a long, drawn-out sigh.

Sakura watched as his hand unfurled from hers and moved to wrap around her. She felt him drive his hand between her back and the sofa to rest it, finally, on her hip. Itachi angled his chest and pulled her into him. She rested her head on his shoulder once more, the calmness between them seeping back.

"I didn't mean to accuse you of anything," he murmured into her hair. He was silent for a long time after, -well, almost- she could hear him breathing deeply, exhaling into her hair, tingling her scalp.

"I just don't understand," she heard him mumble finally.

At his small admission, Sakura tensed. Her heart ached painfully and she felt an overwhelming need to reassure him. Ironically, she knew his time, that night, would be better spent working, and not with her. However, she didn't care. He would have no distractions from tomorrow on, something Sakura figured gave her full permission to spend her time with him as she wished.

She turned slowly so as to face him, and rose to her knees once more. Her nose touched his slightly and she couldn't help the small smile spreading on her face. "I'm sure the answer is right in front of you."

"You think?" he whispered, his breath mixing with hers.

She smiled and nodded sheepishly. "People rarely notice things right in front of their eyes."

He returned her smile with one of his own, even if it was somewhat smaller and more controlled. His lips ghosted over hers again in the smallest of kisses.

"I believe in you," she whispered against those lips, her eyes still locked on his.

A sly grin replaced her smile seconds later. Carefully, so as not to trip, she stretched her legs backwards landing on the floor. She stood from the sofa using his chest as an anchor. Itachi looked at her confused, her grin amused him to no end. Without a moments hesitation, she reached out a small hand, willing him to take it. He did and like a flash, he was in front of her. She laughed softly, draping her arms around his shoulders, pulling him closer to her. His body-heat and strong build only made her feel more content in his embrace. His own hands rested on the small of her back, not-knowing what, exactly, she was planning.

Sakura found the courage to make the first move. She reached up on her toes to place a small, lingering kiss on his mouth. His reciprocation was instantaneous. His arms wrapped completely around her waist drawing her ever closer to him. Sakura's small gasp, gave him further access to her smaller mouth. At the first dart of his tongue inside her mouth, Sakura's hands flew to his hair dragging him further into her.

Their kiss had heated up very quickly and before long Sakura's small moans filled the, once quiet, living room. She felt that same familiar ache starting to build in her lungs and she had to pull back from the man in front of her.

From his erratic, ragged breathing, Sakura guessed, he too, was short on oxygen. She smiled against him again, already want more of his kisses. But not there.

Her small hands left his hair and found his hands that had encircled her waist. She pulled them from her, but didn't let go. Itachi had an utterly confused look on his face that made her want to chuckle, but she suppressed it. Instead she walked slowly to the hallway with his hands still in hers. A small hint of realization flashed on his face when she began to lead him upstairs.

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><p>Itachi closed the door quietly behind him, not wanting to disturb the peace of the room. He followed the small woman to the center of the room where she had stopped. Her back was to him as she stood at the foot of the bed, her breathing light and even. Itachi swiftly wrapped his arms around her middle and pulled her into him. She hummed softly when he placed a gentle kiss to her neck.<p>

Sakura turned in his embrace, wrapping her arms around his neck. His lips connected with hers moments later, and Sakura's eyes fluttered closed. She moved her lips against his, encouraging him to do more. When his tongue nudged at her bottom lip, Sakura wasted no time in parting her soft lips ever so slightly to allow him access.

Her hands left his neck then, traveling down his chest and abdomen to rest, finally, at the hem of his shirt. Itachi withdrew his mouth from hers, needing air. He watched as she slowly, one by one, unhooked each button of his shirt before sliding it off his shoulders and letting it fall to the floor. She smiled shyly, before kissing him once more.

Itachi pushed her against him, his hands on her back. Sakura moaned into his mouth when she felt her breasts ache from being pushed against his hard chest. His hands moved further down her back, gripping the hem of her t-shirt. He broke their heated kiss to pull the material off her body. That same moment, he unhooked her bra and pulled it from her, discarding it somewhere along with her shirt.

Sakura's eyes locked with Itachi's. He was so close she could taste his breath on her face. She felt the small lingering sensation of his fingertips on her exposed skin, as his hand made it's way from her back to her stomach. She closed her eyes, listening as his hands undid the button of jeans, sliding them down over her hips. She helped him by kicking the clothes off of her and stepping out of them.

His gaze swept over her body, eyeing the one piece of clothing still left on her perfect body. Her panties concealed her womanhood from him and he wanted to change that fact. Sakura's eyes remained closed as his fingers dipped inside the hem of her pants. His fingers first stroked her curls, earning a gasp from the small female, before they left altogether. Sakura opened her eyes, wondering what had happened, to find him staring at her. He didn't say a word, but his head tilted slightly and inclined closer to hers so as their lips were just brushing. He was waiting for her permission. It had been some time since they had last made love and he wanted her to feel completely comfortable. Sakura pressed her lips to his gently. "I've missed you," she mumbled, her voice barely audible.

His lips crashed on hers again, his arms encircling her hips as his tongue danced with hers in a heated battle. His fingers connected with the hem of her underwear once more, pulling them down her long, creamy legs. She gasped as the cool air hit her already damp womanhood. Itachi flung the garment aside, assaulting her lips again and pulling her flush against him.

His kiss was passionate and so full of force. She gasped harshly, the air leaving her lungs when she felt him press a single digit inside of her. His kiss became softer, letting her grow accustomed to the new sensation. After a couple of seconds of chaste kisses, Sakura pushed further into his hand, wanting more of the incredible feeling he was giving her. He moved slowly inside her, and even though her moans were pleasant it wasn't enough. He pulled back entering a second finger before thrusting into her at full force. His free hand pressed against her buttocks, holding her still against his rocking motions. She groaned sharply a minute later when he pressed a third digit into her core. She lacked the concentration to press her lips against his and so her head fell to his chest, mumbling his name against it.

His pace build up when he heard her moans become louder and more high-pitched.

Sakura's breathing hitched and she felt her heart-rate soar the faster his fingers took her. She felt heat pooling inside of her and she could practically taste her orgasm. He was so close to taking her there. "Itachi," she murmured into his chest, her hands flew to wrap around his neck, afraid her legs would give way at any moment. "Please..."

Itachi felt his member press painfully against the constricting material of his jeans. His hand pressed her buttocks further against him making her scream his name against him. His fingers sped up even more, and soon his thumb found her swollen pearl. He ghosted over it gently, enticing a hiss from Sakura's lips. A second later, his thumb connected again, this time rubbing in small, delicious circles against it. Sakura was shouting his name again and after another particularly deep thrust of his digits, his name left her mouth again. This time it was deeper, but louder. Much louder. He held her close as she rode her orgasm and shook violently against him.

It was a couple of minutes later before she was able to think straight again, but when it happened she looked up to find Itachi looking down at her. Both of his hands now lay flat against her back . She smiled sheepishly, before placing a small kiss on his bruised lips.

He gave her a small smirk, before turning her around and walking them both to the bed. Sakura climbed on, sitting on the side that used to be hers, all the while looking at him with expectant eyes. He kissed her lips again softly, before climbing onto the bed and laying down on his side of the bed. Sakura giggled but rested her head against his shoulder nonetheless. She watched as his eyes closed slowly and had to suppress the click of her tongue.

"I'm sorry," she breathed quickly, crossing her arms over her chest in mock annoyance. "Are _you _tired?" Her sarcastic tone elicited a small chuckle from the man beside him. His rare laugh was something that always made her heart swell. She laughed alongside him, tracing his chest with her hands lightly.

"What about you?" she grinned slightly a few minutes later. Her hand was still on his chest .

"What about me?"

She giggled as she pressed small kisses against his chest, her hand now stroking his shoulder in teasing motions.

"Sakura," he warned gently as her tongue left her mouth to wrap around his darkened nipple. She didn't stop and he said her name again, louder this time. She still didn't listen. Silly girl.

Itachi's eyes snapped open and before she knew it, Sakura was on her back with Itachi pressed against her. His arms hooked around her back pushing her into him and she gasped loudly when his tongue and teeth collided with her neck.

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><p><strong>End of Chapter.<strong>

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><p>Thank you for all the lovely comments so far. It means the world that so many of you are putting this on alerts (even if more than half of you don't review! :P).<br>See you soon. 

Also, to the last anonymous reviewer, some time today. "I thought Synthesis was your top priority," - It is! But Sunday is my only day off work. I have to eat! :P  
>But thank you for the concern, it's heartwarming that you like Synthesis so much!<p> 


	8. The Holiday

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

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><p><strong>Title:<strong> Synthesis

**Author:** Absolute. Tranquillity

**Pairings:** ItaSaku

**Genre: **Family/Crime

**Word count: **5069

**Rating:** M

**Notes: **-

Enjoy and review!

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><p><strong>Synthesis<br>Chapter Eight  
><strong>

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><p>Sakura lay awake, her head resting on Itachi's chest. His breathing was quiet and even, signalling he was in a deep sleep. She knew he was overtired, not only from their earlier love-making, but from the past week in general. So much had happened and Sakura had to remind herself that it was only yesterday that she had 'buried' him. Her heart ached painfully at the memory, so much so that she squeezed her eyes shut; her lashes fluttering against his skin. He tensed slightly underneath her at the tickling sensation but quickly relaxed back into his slumber, pulling her closer to him.<p>

Sakura let out the small breath she didn't know she had been holding, before reaching her hand up to trace his jawline. She felt ashamed of herself thinking back on her treatment of him over the past few months. He was hurting too, and she was hostile and inconsiderate of his feelings. He had so much to deal with lately, especially with the case, she knew him to be working on. Earlier in the night he shared everything about the investigation with her. Like he used to do before when he wanted to take some weight off his shoulders and vent his feelings. Her mood had soared when he had chosen to do so this evening.

On one hand, she was happy they were able to be open with each other once more; but on the other hand, it frightened her somewhat, that this dangerous fugitive had a vendetta against her husband and had abducted her son only hours earlier. Itachi had swore to her then that he would protect her from Orochimaru's grasp, but she wasn't convinced. He couldn't be around them all day, everyday.

Instead of answering back with that logic or making excuses, Sakura made sure he knew that she was with him all the way. Making sure he knew that she believed in him and his abilities to keep Japan safe from the terrorist, Orochimaru. Itachi had his weaknesses but giving up lightly was not one of them.

She kissed him then. It was more serious than their earlier kiss. Deeper and more meaningful. It wasn't long before she found herself back in their old bedroom, on their old bed, with Itachi's hand's intertwined with hers just above her head. He continued to kiss her, _hard._ Sakura couldn't help the moans that left her throat as his body pressed against hers. It had felt exactly like them again. She felt his lips set fire to her skin – grateful that he had rid her of her clothing earlier- as they trailed down her body, . Sakura was glad it was his name that was once more leaving her lips in small sobs.

The only moment she had hesitated during their love-making was when Itachi began trailing small kisses down her stomach. Her heart stilled and she was sure Itachi faltered a moment before his lips brushed the skin that protected their growing child. She wasted no time in calling his name and bringing his lips back to hers once again.

Her hand ceased it's tracing motions on his jaw.

She had decided last week when she first discovered her pregnancy, that Itachi would not be told until his investigation was over. (He promised her that would be soon.) He didn't need any distractions and essentially, that is exactly what an unborn child would be. He would worry about their situation, their relationship. Sakura would rather they had time to work out the finer details when she eventually told her husband that he was to be a father again.

Sakura had concluded this evening –long before her reconciliation with Itachi- that her and Koichi were distractions, also. He couldn't do his job when he was worrying for their safety. Hell, he had left a meeting with Ibiki suddenly this evening – not saying a word to the Superintendent General- as soon as he found out that Koichi was missing. She knew before she went to Itachi's home that evening that she would have to leave, so she could, eventually, live in her own home without fear.

And so, after tucking Koichi in bed, she had turned on her laptop and booked her flights. She believed that Itachi would do everything in his power to protect their child, but Sakura had to think of their unborn child too. And everything in Itachi's power may not have been enough to keep them all safe. Small tears flooded her eyes at the thought of leaving him so soon after she had got him back, but it was for the best. Her intentions in going over there tonight, were first, to get some answers and second, to say goodbye. She hadn't expected her heart to leap out of her chest when he touched her hand. She hadn't expected her feelings of love to resurface as soon as he whispered an apology to her. She especially hadn't expected him to kiss her with such force and passion. But she was glad. So, so glad. She could only hope it wouldn't be long before he concluded his operation and they could be happy again.

Carefully, Sakura sat up and lifted the arm that wrapped around her to place it back on Itachi's abdomen. She watched him for a moment, before placing a small kiss on his cheek. Sakura gathered her earlier discarded jeans and shirt.

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><p>The pinkette walked briskly down the stairs, grabbing her bag from the living room afterwards. She paused on her way out the door, her wedding photo catching her eye. She smiled softly at the memory. She could still feel the cold November air and the snow that drifted in the air. Looking back, <em>it was her favourite day. <em>She gave it one final glance as she left the room.

She drew in a sharp breath. She had almost crashed into him he was that close and that quiet. Slowly, she raised her head to see Itachi looking down at her. She took a small breath, walking to stand beside him. He watched her with unreadable eyes. His chest was still bare but he had thrown on a pair of sweatpants. Sakura gave him a small smile when she came to a halt right in front of him.

"You're leaving?" he asked moments later in an even tone. Sakura nodded slowly, her eyes not reaching his. But she still smiled, hoped he didn't hate her for her decision.

"Don't," he said suddenly, grasping her hand. Her eyes flew to his at his command. She squeezed his hand, knowing how she should answer. His voice had an almost pleading tone to it. "Koichi is with Ino; he'll be fine."

Sakura's eyes flooded thinking about her plans. She only had a few hours before her flight. Small tears streamed from her eyes as she looked away from her husband. "It's not just this house I'm leaving, Itachi," she whispered. "I'm leaving Japan."

Itachi's eyes widened slightly, his hand moving to grip her chin, forcing her to look at him. He didn't say a word, instead waited for her to elaborate. She did so a short while later, but not before drying her eyes with the corner of her sleeve.

"It's best that Koichi and I leave," she breathed. "But only for a short while," she added quickly. "It's not safe and you need no distraction." She reached up to take his hand in hers, removing it from her chin. She placed a small kiss on his knuckles before placing it back by his side.

She smiled again through her tears and Itachi wasted no time in pulling her into an embrace once more. Her head buried in his chest and her tears soaked through her closed eyelids. Itachi's lips rested beside her ear, his deep voice filling her head. "This is ridiculous, Sakura. You need to stay close."

Sakura left his chest, instead rested her forehead against Itachi's. Her lips brushed against his as she spoke in a hushed tone. "No, Itachi," she whispered, her tears still pooling in her eyes. "The next time they take Koichi, we won't get him back. You know that." Itachi's eyes closed as he held her to him. Sakura brushed his bangs from his face and tucked them behind his ears. She placed a small kiss on his lips before her hands left his chest. "We _will _come back, Itachi."

He nodded his head, his forehead rubbing off hers. He knew she wouldn't break that vow. When she said she would come back, he knew she didn't just mean to Japan; She'd come back to him. He placed one last kiss on her lips, taking advantage of her open mouth. Sakura's eyes closed in response and she smiled into the kiss.

After a few moments, Itachi broke the small caress. He dropped his arms from her back, soon retracting his forehead as well. He gave her one last glance before he turned and walked down the hall towards the kitchen, leaving her alone.

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><p>Sakura arrived home later to find her home covered in darkness and completely silent. Ino was asleep on the sofa and Sasuke was curled up on a nearby chair. Looking at the clock, it was nearing two 'clock in the morning; she realised she only had a few hours until she had to be at the airport. She decided to get a few hours sleep, leaving the small amount of packing she had to do 'til morning.<p>

Mere minutes later, she was comfortable in her own bed. She left her door open slightly, just in case someone in the small apartment needed her. It wasn't long before she felt her eyelids start to droop in exhaustion.

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><p><em>The child watched with young, innocent eyes as the rain splattered against the windscreen. From the back seat of the car, she could see an older woman in the driver seat search frantically for something. The small child tilted her head, wondering what the pink-haired woman in front of her was looking for.<em>

"_What are you looking for, mommy?"_

_The older woman turned suddenly, regarding the young girl with fearful eyes. She swung around fully in her seat, cupping the little one's face. _

"_Sakura," she whispered, her voice cracking. "I need you to get down on the floor and hide."_

_The young girl's eyes widened. She was only six years old, more than likely terrified by her mother's strange instructions. _

"_Why do I-"_

"_Sakura," she warned, her voice turning tense. "Do it now, good girl."_

_The small girl ejected her seatbelt and reached for the small bear beside her. She hunched down in front of her mother's seat. For a small moment she felt like she was playing a game; she giggled softly, hugging her bear closer to her. She saw her mother's arm wrap around the seat, placing her cellphone beside Sakura. The young girl looked strangely at the object, poking it for a moment. She remembered her mother showing her how to use the device, just in case._

_Her attention was ripped away when she heard the passenger door open. She heard her mother's sharp intake of breath before a small whisper was emitted from her. Chills ran down Sakura's small spine from the cold air being let in._

"_Please," she heard her mother say softly. "I have my daughter-" _

_Her mother was cut off by the sound of a loud bang resounding throughout the car. The young girl shrieked and raised her hands to cover her ears. Her bear was long forgotten, dropped to the floor of the car. A small whimper rose from her throat, but she managed to place her hands over her mouth before it left her mouth. Tears pricked the corners of her eye and she couldn't help but peer out from behind the seat. Looking upwards she could see her mother's pink tresses flowing down her shoulders as she lay slumped against the car seat. Slowly, she reached her small hands up to poke her mother's elbow. She got no reaction from the woman and the whimper threatened to rise again. _

_She was torn away from her mother when she saw movement from outside the passenger door; whoever had entered the car had left it open. She peered out the door to see a pair of red eyes staring at her. Her large, innocent orbs filled with fear at that moment; she knew that was the man who had hurt her mother. _

_Sakura swore she saw that man smile before he turned away from the car and walked up the road, disappearing into the darkness. _

_The little girl let small tears role down her cheeks before she reached for the cellphone beside her._

* * *

><p>Sakura awoke with a jolt. Startled, she looked around the room, pushing herself up on her elbows. One hand rested over her racing heart, hoping to slow it's pace somewhat. She calmed slightly when she saw that she was in her own bed, in her own home. The young woman let out a few shaky breaths, wiping the small amount of sweat from her brow and neck.<p>

The tiny rays of sunlight entering the window and the fact that the house was eerily silent, told her it was still early. She didn't bother to check the time; swung her legs over the side of the bed regardless.

Inside the small, adjoining bathroom, Sakura splashed her face and neck with cold water. She had been trying to for years to forget that night all those years ago, when her mother was murdered in front of her. She had been so young, fragile and innocent that she really had no clue what had actually taken place. Not until she was older and realised what kind of business her father was involved in. She growled loudly, clamping her eyes shut. She really didn't want to think about it. She turned the shower on beside her, hoping to wash away some of the sweat that clung to her.

She emerged minutes later. Loose strands of damp hair clung to her as she towel-dried her body. She dressed quickly, knowing full well that there were other people present in the house who could walk in at any moment.

Sakura sat on the edge of her bed for a short while. Her, still-damp, hair was dripping, making small wet patches appear in the material of her t-shirt. She ignored it. Her mind was squarely concentrated on the look of pure defeat on Itachi's face the night before, when she told him she was leaving. Standing up, she told herself once more that it was for the best. She had made the right decision. Sakura grabbed the small weekender bag from atop her wardrobe, intent on packing. Thinking back was not going to do much good now. And so, she pushed Itachi to the back of her mind, grabbing articles of clothing from the dresser and folding them neatly into her bag.

* * *

><p>It was her son who first disturbed her. His sleepy eyes and tousled hair were enough to make her smile after a morning spent in grief and denial. He tucked small locks of hair behind his little ears, moving to stand beside his mother. His head rested against her leg as she packed, Sakura had to laugh sheepishly at his half-asleep, half-awake state.<p>

"What are you doing?" he asked finally in a small, sleepy tone.

"I'm packing some clothes," she said quietly, one hand playing with his thick locks. "You and I are going on vacation."

He looked up at expectantly, a small smile playing on his tiny lips. "Really? Where?"

"We're going to England, to see Uncle Yamato for a little while."

"Is dad coming?" he asked quickly, still staring up at her.

Sakura sighed softly, sinking to her knees so she was on the same level as the young boy. For his whole four years of life, there was no one Koichi looked up to more than his father. Even now, when they had separated the boy still questioned his mother about his father, endlessly. Sakura had to admit that at times she felt a little jealous of Itachi. "Not this time, honey. Daddy is very busy."

The boy pouted but nodded all the same. Sakura flashed a small, reassuring smile before placing a kiss on his forehead. "Go gather your things. We have to leave soon."

Koichi gave her a peck on the cheek before bounding from her bedroom. She was glad he was still young and didn't fully comprehend what was going on around him. But then, she was a grown woman of thirty-three and she, herself, didn't fully understand it. She brushed stray locks of her hair from her face, standing back to her full height once again.

She didn't notice Sasuke's presence in the doorway until he stepped forward clearing his throat. She turned quickly, startled at her brother-in-laws sudden appearance. She observed him for a moment, his mouth was slightly open and he looked a tad confused. "What is it, Sasuke?" she asked quietly, an eyebrow raising at his odd expression.

"You're leaving?" Sakura smiled sadly, giving a controlled nod before going back to her packing. Her bag was almost full now, but she managed to fit in another couple of pieces. It was nearing the end of autumn and England would be freezing compared to the climate of Tokyo at this time of year.

Sasuke stuffed his hands in his pockets, shuffling closer to the smaller woman. "Where?" he asked suddenly, his head shaking in confusion.

Sakura gave a sly glance in his direction. He had obviously been listening to her conversation with Koichi, so he knew where she was going. Sakura was no fool, she knew Sasuke and Itachi had issues but that didn't mean they weren't somewhat loyal to one another. "Itachi knows, if that's what you're getting at, Sasuke."

"I never said anything-"

"I'm busy Sasuke," Sakura called softly, but firmly. She had decided she wasn't going to think about Itachi and Sasuke questioning her was not helping.

Sasuke raised his hands in defeat. He walked backwards towards the door, still watching her. He poked his head out the doorway, something that caught Sakura's attention. She narrowed her eyes, looking to see what he was looking for. A moment later, he turned back to her, his eyes locked on hers. "Does he know about... _the other thing_?"

"What other thing?"she asked quickly, not understanding where he was going.

"The baby," he said evenly, his eyes narrowing.

Sakura clicked her tongue, turning her head away from him. She zipped up the bag and deposited it on her bed. "No he doesn't. And I'd appreciate it if you didn't tell him."

"He deserves to know, Sakura."

"I know, Sasuke," she shouted this time, sick and tired of his interrogation. "I will tell him, when _I'm _ready."

* * *

><p>His knock was eventually answered when the door to Sakura's apartment opened slowly, Ino greeting him on the other side.<p>

"Itachi, great," she whispered. "Shisui just called, he says he might have something and wants us down at the unit soon."

He nodded at her words but wasn't listening to intently. "Is Sakura awake?" he said casually, looking behind her to the staircase.

"I don't think so," she said softly. Itachi could feel her gaze on him. He knew she pitied him from the tone she used. She spoke to him like a victim, in a small and gentle voice. It angered him to no end.

Ino moved herself, walking back into the centre of the living room. She had the television switched on, the news playing softly throughout the room. Closing the door behind him, he heard voices emerging upstairs. He observed the staircase, watching as Sakura came into view followed swiftly by Sasuke. She looked pissed off. She had a small travel bag in her hands; he knew then she was serious about leaving and even he couldn't change that woman's mind.

She eyed him suspiciously when she reached the landing of the living room.

"I need to talk to you," he said suddenly, his mouth betraying his head. He saw her eyes widen a fraction. She looked uncomfortably from Sasuke to Ino before she walked, silently, into the small kitchenette beside her.

* * *

><p>"I thought we said everything that needed to be said last night?" she asked quietly, her arms crossing.<p>

He watched her closely in that small moment. Her eyes no longer held fear or anxiety like they had last night. It was something unreadable in her eyes. Determination, perhaps? It was only dawning on him that maybe she was right. Perhaps what was in their best interests, was to leave Japan, his too. His job was just that, a job. Sure, it was a huge part of his life, but so were his family. He knew which he'd rather lose. A small smile graced his thin lips as he watched her glare at him. Maybe she was the stronger of the them, after-all.

"I just wanted to say goodbye," he whispered to her then.

Her glare softened instantaneously, her arms unclenching from their crossed position on her stomach. She looked at him for only a second before her head snapped sideways .He was sure he saw tears prick at her eyes. His automatic response was to go to her, to comfort her but Ino's intrusion into the small scene stopped him from moving.

Itachi saw her gaze travel to Sakura, widening slightly. He saw her face fade into an pained expression as she took in the sight of her best friend. "Shisui wants everyone down town, now," she said quickly, her eyes never leaving Sakura's smaller frame.

"Now?"

"He said it's urgent."

Itachi nodded slowly, his eyes closing briefly as he prepared himself to say goodbye to his two most precious people.

"Sakura?" he heard Ino call softly, "can I talk to you before you..."

His eyes snapped open; saw the glum expression settle in the blonde woman's face. She must have been hurting too. He excused himself, leaving the two women to their farewell.

* * *

><p>"Dad!" Itachi whipped around, seeing the source of the small voice that he recognised all to well. He had only reached the apartment door, about to ring Shisui, when the small boy had called him. Itachi watched the young boy walk slowly down the stairs, before planting himself right in front of his father. Itachi stooped to the boys level, regarding him with a small smile as he walked into his arms. "I'm going on holidays," he said lightly, biting his lips afterwards.<p>

"So I've heard," he answered quietly, using his fingers to free the boys lip from his baby-teeth. "Don't bite your lip."

"I'll miss you," Koichi whispered, ignoring his father's scolding. He knew better than to ask his father to go with him. The answer was always 'no' lately no matter what it was he had asked. Itachi's smile didn't falter, his hand ruffled the small boys hair, earning a small giggle.

"I'll miss you," he whispered back, poking Koichi's forehead.

Moments later, Sakura emerged from the kitchen, Ino followed behind. Sakura picked up her earlier discarded bag, as well as Koichi's, before placing them beside the front door.

"I'll wait outside," Ino called, wiping the corners of her eyes. Itachi nodded quickly at her, but she didn't see. She had practically ran to the door, obviously upset by her friends imminent departure.

"Have you said goodbye to your father, Koichi?" Sakura asked lightly, not wanting to upset him further. The boy merely nodded, standing still before his father, eyeing him carefully. Sakura walked slowly to stand beside him and buried her hand in his hair.

"We have to leave, honey."

Sakura watched as Itachi moved closer to him, whispering something in the small boys ear. Koichi giggled loudly, his face falling forward causing Sakura's hand to slip from his scalp. She smiled, wondering just what it was Itachi had said to him. She knew she would probably never find out though. Koichi mumbled a small 'goodbye' between laughs, collecting his bag and striding out the apartment hallway.

Sakura's eyes followed him until he was out of view. She wrapped her cardigan tighter around her, protecting her from the autumn chill. She looked up to see Itachi staring at her. But not his usual glare-stare, he watched her with a smile. She looked back at him for a moment but quickly realised she hadn't got time to waste. She took a deep breath through her nose, before she stepped into his personal space, planting a soft kiss against his cheek, just as she had done eight years ago at the beginning of her relationship with the man.

"Be safe," she mumbled against his skin.

"You too."

* * *

><p>Itachi's knuckles pounded harshly on Shisui's office door, walking in without waiting for the reply. The older man looked paler than usual and still exhausted when he looked up to meet Itachi's gaze.<p>

"You said it was urgent?" he asked evenly.

Shisui sighed deeply, dropping the pen from his hand and rubbing his eyes. "You should take a seat-"

"Shisui," Itachi warned, his face expressionless and hard. "I'm not in the mood.

Shisui regarded his younger cousin for a second, before; "Orochimaru's been shot. He was found unconscious in his home after a 911 call was made."

"Where is he now?" Itachi asked quickly, not missing a beat.

"He's in Tokyo General. They're trying to stabilize him." Shisui swallowed thickly, his eyes closing now. Itachi exhaled deeply and turned to leave the room. "That's not all."

Itachi turned slightly, his eyes snapping back to Shisui's. He raised an eyebrow waiting for his cousin to continue.

"Kenchi Haruno was found dead beside the unconscious Orochimaru."

* * *

><p>"Hurry Koichi, we'll miss check-in."<p>

"I had to pee, mom," the small boy whined as Sakura pulled him through the airport.

"I know honey, but we're already late."

Sakura quickly spotted her bags. They lay on top of the chair she had placed them on before their visit to the bathrooms. Koichi dropped his hand from hers, running towards their things. Sakura used the opportunity to fish her tickets out of her handbag as she continued walking.

"Mrs Uchiha?"

Sakura looked up from her bag to see a strange man standing beside her things, with Koichi glaring up at him from his side.

"Yes?" she said softly, still observing the much taller man. A sickening smile covered his face and Sakura immediately reached her hand out to take Koichi's. But the older man was having none of it. His arm shot out, blocking Koichi's path to his mother. She gasped, her eyes flying to the man's.

"My name is Madara. Uchiha Madara."

Sakura stilled at the name. She had never heard Itachi mentioning a relative of that name. Something in her gut told to call someone, that this wasn't someone she wanted to be near. His piercing, red, eyes bore into hers and for a moment she swore she had seen them before.

"You and your son need to come with me," he said then, his voice loud and raspy.

"We have a flight to catch," she said evenly, trying to seem as relaxed as possible. She stepped forward reaching for her son once more.

He followed her actions and before she knew it, Sakura felt something cool and distinctly metal press against her exposed hip.

"Do not react. Turn around, and leave the airport with me."

Her body tensed at his words. Koichi was looking up at her, his eyes full of fear and confusion. She took in his small face before closing her eyes and muttering, "Okay."

* * *

><p><strong>End of Chapter.<strong>

* * *

><p>This chapter is short as it was originally part of the next chapter, which, unfortunately got too long.<p>

Thanks for reading, remember to leave a review! ;)

See you next week!  
>All my love.<p> 


	9. The Apartment on Block Three

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

* * *

><p><strong>Title:<strong> Synthesis

**Author:** Absolute. Tranquillity

**Pairings:** ItaSaku

**Genre: **Family/Crime

**Word count:** 8139

**Rating:** M

**Notes: **Sorry guys, this chapter was particularly difficult to write. Still not 100% happy with it.

* * *

><p><strong>Synthesis<br>Chapter Nine  
><strong>

* * *

><p>Itachi's eyes were set firmly on the Superintendent General, inside the eerily silent room. Behind his desk, Ibiki was scowling furiously at the Uchiha. Itachi refused to submit, choosing instead to stare the man down. He knew he was, potentially, playing with fire – but it didn't faze him. Ibiki was reckless, too reckless and if Itachi was a lower man he would report the General to the appropriate authority and have him removed from office, immediately.<p>

But something inside him, told him that the man was only doing what he thought was best. Ibiki was doing only what he could to protect the Japanese citizens. Sure, he was clutching at straws, Itachi knew this; but what else could he do? It was only then that the Uchiha recognised the emotion that had been playing on Ibiki's face this whole time. It was something he was no stranger to. Desperation.

"So, you're telling me that Orochimaru has been hospitalised?" the old man asked finally, still holding Itachi's gaze.

Itachi bowed his head, "Yes, sir. He has been placed under arrest and is under constant, armed supervision."

"Meanwhile, the one we truly wanted is roaming free?"

Itachi gave a low growl as his jaw hardened. "Sir."

"Sasuke informed me a potential victim was uncovered this week," he said slowly, quietly. He trailed off, his eyes roaming over the room before settling on the large window pane. "I gave you this case, Uchiha. What do you plan to do about it?"

"With all due respect Superintendent General -Sama, my orders were to locate and apprehend Orochimaru, whilst uncovering any relevant information about the unidentified suspect. They did not call for a second arrest."

"Don't you dare speak to me like that," Ibiki spat in an even voice. He spun in his seat to face Itachi again. "You knew full well my intentions in finding Orochimaru."

"I did know of your true intentions, sir. However I did not, nor will I ever, agree with them," Itachi replied evenly, never breaking his eye-contact with the older man. "You put many agents and innocent bystanders in danger with your desperate attempts for glory and I can't stand by and watch."

"My agents were trained for such situations-"

"But my family were not," Itachi shot back, cutting the older man off. He had crossed into dangerous territory, but he couldn't stop now.

Ibiki's eyes widened and his glare softened. For the first time that afternoon, he didn't look furious or bitter. All at once the tension in the room eased, but Itachi held his ground. His gaze was still hardened on the man in front of him. Ibiki left his seat and moved to stand in front of the floor-length window, his hand's behind his back. The only noise in the room was that of Ibiki's deep breaths.

"You father and I worked on that case," he said then, quietly. "But we could never break it. It almost killed him when this sick bastard disappeared."

Itachi rolled his eyes uncharacteristically. Ibiki's anecdotes were not going to do any good for them. His time was best spent with the team, trying to salvage what little of their investigation was left.

"I'm currently unsure as to how to proceed with the situation at hand."

"Uchiha-"

"We have very few leads and have yet to investigate the circumstances surrounding the victim found on Monday morning." Itachi ignored the burning glare Ibiki was giving him. He didn't want to hear anymore from the Superintendent. He was trying his best to bite his tongue so as not to be fired for insubordination. Ibiki may have been an old, family friend, but Itachi knew he would not be above firing him.

"Itachi," Ibiki said again, his voice lowering this time. "I know you're angry with how I handled this situation. I put your team, your family and you yourself in massive amounts of danger and I can only apologise." Itachi held his gaze with Ibiki, waiting for the older man to continue. "I, too, am disappointed in myself."

"Yes, well I should be getting back downstairs; we're meeting to go over the case. And I have to interview Orochimaru when he gets out of surgery."

"I wanted you to be the first to know, I'm stepping down as Superintendent General." Ibiki's voice was louder now, cutting Itachi off and making sure the younger man really heard him.

Itachi's eyes widened a fraction. He couldn't say it wasn't necessary -they both knew it was- but he felt a small pang of pity rise inside of him for the man.

"Let's not speak anymore on that subject," the Superintendent said quickly. Itachi wasn't sure when the man had returned to his desk, but Ibiki was now seated directly in front of him. "Shisui will take over the lead on the case. After the past couple of days, I'm not sure if it is in anyone's interests if you were to remain in control of the operation."

Itachi almost chuckled at the irony of Ibiki's words. It was only when that feeling passed, that he realised he didn't care what name was on top of the report at the end of the case. As long as it was closed, _soon,_ he would be happy. Itachi turned on his heel, walking towards the double oak doors of the office.

"I'm sorry, Itachi," he heard Ibiki call softly after him. His apology meant nothing. For this man, _this job, _he had compromised many opportunities. He had yet to receive anything in return. Was any of this worth it?

Growing up, he had thought his father the most noble man he knew. Secretly, he hoped to be just like his father when he grew older. It's got exactly what he had wished for, for now he was living his father's life. Work had become the main staple of his life; his family were suffering because of it and now he was working the same case his father failed to close over thirty years ago. He could only hope that Koichi wouldn't follow Sasuke's path and end up hating him for something outside of his control.

He didn't reply to Ibiki's 'sorry'.

* * *

><p>Kisame twirled the photograph around in his grasp. He examined it from each and every possible angle, but he saw nothing new or even remotely helpful. Itachi stared at the document in the man's hand, his hands clasped in front of him. That one photo was what had started this whole mess and Itachi was sick of staring at it, hoping to spot some previously unseen lead. But nothing ever came of it. He knew Kisame was wasting his time with it, yet he said nothing to the older man. Staring at the document gave him something to do, rather than just sitting in the conference room, wallowing in his own frustration.<p>

Kisame sighed, a long and drawn-out action, placing the photograph directly in front of himself. "So, Kenchi Haruno is dead and Orochimaru is currently comatose," he said quietly, still eyeing the picture. "Maybe someone will get the third guy and save us a job."

Itachi frowned at Kisame small chuckle. "I think it is safe to assume, that the third compromised the other two."

Kisame looked confused for a small moment, his brows furrowing under Itachi's words. "But if-"

"I agree with Itachi," Shisui called softly across the table. Until now the eldest Uchiha had been silent, choosing to flip through a few pages rather than join in the small conversation between the few agents in the room. Itachi could only assume he was feeling a little uncomfortable, having unintentionally taken his cousin's job earlier that afternoon. Itachi gave him a small nod, hoping to ease the tension that had been slowly building between them the last few days.

"Have you spoken to Orochimaru yet?" he heard the blue man beside him ask suddenly.

Shisui eyed him wearily for a moment. Itachi saw that the lines of exhaustion that existed previously on his face were now fainter, but still visible. "No," the elder Uchiha said gently. "He's been in surgery all morning; no one can get near him."

"Ridiculous," Itachi heard Kisame mutter under his breath.

"I think I'll go to the hospital," Itachi said quickly, standing from his seat, "see if he is out of theatre yet." He grabbed a handful of papers from the desk in front of him. One contained a small timeline he had drawn roughly a short while ago. It catalogued each and every date the team had thought was crucial to the investigation of the man.

Of course, it was not complete. Itachi still had many, as of now, unanswered questions. He'd be damned if he didn't get answers from Orochimaru soon. But he wasn't the only one Itachi wanted answers from.

"Have either of you seen Sasuke?"

* * *

><p>He found his brother a short while later. Having scoured almost the entire third floor, he finally found Sasuke in the lab with Shizune. He knew Sasuke preferred spending his time helping out up there, so he mentally reproached himself for wasting precious time searching the unit for the past half hour. He was waiting for test results when Itachi found him. His attention was fully on the screen in front of him and it was only when Itachi was little less than five feet away from him that Sasuke noticed his presence. Itachi peered over Sasuke's shoulder as the younger man greeted him. He knew how rude it was to read over someone's shoulder but the photograph of a young red-haired woman displayed on the computer screen caught his attention. She was recognised to him as Ami Takahiro, the young woman found dead at the beginning of the week.<p>

"What's this?" he asked quietly, still staring at the computer screen.

Sasuke's eyes widened, spinning back around to face the computer screen. "Oh, I was checking the results of the blood work done on the Takahiro girl." Itachi raised an eyebrow, waiting for Sasuke to give him said results. The younger brother seemed to understand what he was waiting for. "The Temazepam administered was three times higher than usual, you know why?" Sasuke had a small smirk playing on his lips, obviously proud of his work. Itachi, playing along with Sasuke for a moment, gave a small shake of his head.

"It's because the time of death was recorded as being only six hours before the body was found."

Itachi tilted his head at the new information, a small smile rose on his face at Sasuke's work. Sasuke turned back to the computer screen, pressing some keys before another box appeared on screen. "And get this, her blood alcohol level was 0.04% when she was found, which is above the legal limit."

"So, if we are to believe that she was a victim of our unknown suspect, then it's safe to assume he was still in the city as of Sunday evening and in whatever bar Ami was in," Sasuke said quickly, still reading over the information on the screen. Itachi chewed over the information for a moment, a small frown taking over his lips.

"Now, I also looked over those other cases that Ino found. I narrowed down her list and it isn't as extensive as we first thought. I would say... that less than half fit the exact victimology we're looking for."

"For how long were other known victims dead before they were found?" Itachi asked evenly, cutting Sasuke off his previous sentence.

He drew in a sharp breath. "I was just getting to that. On average, those victims were dead thirty-two hours before their bodies were recovered."

Itachi eyed the computer screen. His mind raced with possibilities but nothing seemed to make sense. This new murder seemed sloppy. Rushed even. At least they had something to go on, though. It was much more than they had only minutes ago. Hopefully, Orochimaru would divulge some information that afternoon that would help them further.

"Great work, Sasuke," he said quietly a few moments later. His heard Sasuke snort softly, his head still buried in the amount of information on the desktop in front of him. Itachi couldn't help but notice how at home Sasuke seemed in Shizune's lab. He knew it was only a matter of time before he completed the required training and took a permanent position alongside her. It suited him.

"Care for a drive?" he asked casually, moments later.

* * *

><p>Entering the hospital with Sasuke in tow, Itachi found it to be completely chaotic. Dozens of reporters had gathered outside, all looking for the latest information regarding Orochimaru. Itachi had to push past the men and women swarming around him just to get inside the building. However, inside the lobby seemed even worse. Armed police officers patrolled each hallway and corridor. Ibiki was taking no risks, the threat of Orochimaru being sprung free once more was too great for him to lax on security. Taking a deep breath, Itachi followed the trail of agents leading down the corridor towards the ward.<p>

Genma was on door-watch when they approached. Itachi gave the officer a glare when he saw him typing furiously on his cellphone; Genma ceased almost instantly when Itachi and Sasuke stood beside him, burying the device back into his uniform pocket.

"Anything to report?" Itachi asked quietly. Sasuke walked closer to the door to peer through the window, but he couldn't see anything.

"Nothing," Genma said exasperated. "His consultant is a complete bitch; won't let anyone near him."

Itachi raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

Genma gave a small nod as a scowl overtook his face. "Smokin' body, though," he mumbled, staring into space.

"Captain Uchiha?"

Itachi turned his head slightly to catch sight of a young woman in a lab coat walking towards him. Her hair was scrapped back and he couldn't help but notice her furrowed brows and glowering eyes. She glared at Genma a small moment before she turned her attention back to Itachi. Her glare never lessened. "Doctor Tanaka," she said quickly, pointing to the black stitching on her lab coat.

"Uchiha Itachi," he offered, extending his hand. "I'm sure you will understand that I wish to speak with-"

"I'm afraid that's not possible," she said rudely. "This patient is extremely unwell and is not up to interrogation."

Itachi lowered his hand back to his side, slightly bemuse by the doctor's cold exterior. Behind him Sasuke, suppressed a small chuckle. "Listen lady," he said rudely, stepping beside his older brother. "You do know who he is, right?"

Itachi watched the doctor eye Sasuke with disdain. She bit her lip a moment later, and shook her head. "I'm perfectly aware of who is in this room, however, this is a hospital and our patients well-being is of utmost importance."

"_His _well-being?" Sasuke asked sarcastically, almost shouting.

"Sasuke," Itachi warned in a low voice. The younger man turned to look at him with a frown on his face. Seeing Itachi's similar expression, Sasuke shook his head and stepped back to peer through the window again. "We'll come back at a more opportune time then, doctor."

He could still feel her gaze burning into his back as he and Sasuke left the hospital.

* * *

><p>Sakura's eyes fluttered open gently. Her whole body felt relaxed and warm; whatever she was lying on was so comfortable, that for a few moments, she believed she was at home in her own bed. But the sudden scenes that flashed through her mind, told she was definitely not in her own bed. Alerted, she jumped up, scanning her surroundings as the mornings events played over in her mind. <em>Packing few belongings. Saying goodbye to her friends. Arriving at the airport. The piercing gaze of Madara. Being led from the airport to an awaiting car. Koichi shouting as everything faded to black. <em>She was so agitated, she was panting for breath.

Spotting an exit, Sakura leaped from the foot of the bed, desperately trying to open the door in front. But it was locked. She beat her palms on the door, hoping that someone would hear her. However, it was all in vain as, no one would help free her from that particular prison.

She took in the room around her. It was surprisingly pretty. The walls were cream-coloured and the bedding and curtains all sported the same floral pattern. If it weren't for the small splotches of blood dried into the cream-coloured carpet, Sakura would have said it looked almost... hotel-like. Her heart skipped a beat and she had to do a quick check of her body to make sure the blood wasn't hers. However, when she failed to find even a single scratch on her pale skin, her heart seemed to stop altogether. To whom, exactly, did that blood belong to? Would she meet the same fate?

She had to get out of there. That was the only thought running through her head. She had to leave that room, find Koichi and get as far away from Tokyo as possible. Scanning the room, she saw the window was now her only option. She mentally cursed herself for not trying it earlier.

Her hands pressed against the cool glass. She searched the entire pane, looking for a latch of some sort to open the window. When her hands reached the bottom of the glass, it gave way slightly. She sucked in a breath, before pushing the window outwards as hard as she could. It only moved a couple of inches. She looked down, confused, and found that window had been bound to the sill with a piece of metal to prevent it from opening fully. Sakura tried to force the piece of cool metal off the sill but it wouldn't budge, it only served to make small, red indentations on the tips of her fingers.

She was becoming frustrated, fast. Small tears of anger started to build in the corners of her eyes. She slammed her hand on the glass, hoping to break it, but even that didn't work.

Sakura looked carefully, down at the street below her, wiping those small drops of moisture from her face. It looked familiar. Even from that height – she realised she was about six-floors high- she knew the building across the street as the Tokyo University Medical Centre. It was only a few blocks from her apartment. She was so close to home, yet she was trapped.

She turned away from the window then, her expression one of defeat. Her thoughts turned to her young son. Where was he? Was he hurt? Was he isolated in a room much like hers? Her hands buried in her hair, thinking of the small, no doubt terrified, child. She slid down the wall to rest on the carpeted floor, wrapping her arms around her small form.

* * *

><p>Itachi sighed quietly, watching the never-ending stream of vehicles in front of him trail gingerly along the streets of Tokyo. He knew they would be late for Ibiki's press conference that afternoon if thing's didn't pick up, but he refused to use the police siren he kept in the car. It was aggravating and was, besides, strictly for emergencies only. And although the conference was something he would like to witness, it was not an emergency.<p>

Beside him, Sasuke drummed his fingers against his thigh. When they were outside work, there was always a lull in the conversation. Something he despised. He always wanted to be closer to his younger brother, but Sasuke always shrugged him off. If his father weren't dead, Itachi would have cursed him for not showing Sasuke the same attention he himself was shown as a child.

Sasuke kept his cards close to his chest, rarely informing Itachi of any important plan or decision he made. That used to include work projects until a few years back when he thought it appropriate to enter a hostile situation without calling for backup. As his superior, Itachi suspended him without hesitation. Something he was sure Sasuke still resented to this day. Nevertheless, Sasuke hadn't been so foolish with his life after that little episode.

Uchiha Itachi could do many things, but -while he knew Sasuke loved him as a brother- he couldn't make the younger man like or care for him. It hurt.

It was because of this frosty relationship that Itachi hadn't questioned Sasuke on his dealings with Orochimaru as of yet. He didn't want to cause unnecessary conflict and further push Sasuke away from him.

But still, the old man had hinted that he and Sasuke knew each other, something that infuriated Itachi to no end. No member of the team was to investigate anything without the consent of the rest of said team, no matter if they were Sasuke or Itachi himself. Whilst he was sure Sasuke wouldn't betray his Country and make a deal with the devil, it didn't sit right with Itachi that Sasuke was hiding something.

The car gingerly moved forward, only a metre or so before it stopped again. He decided to take the plunge. "You've spoken to Orochimaru before." It was a statement. He turned his head slightly to see Sasuke looking at him curiously.

"I have," Sasuke answered smoothly, directing his gaze, instead,to the red Honda in front of them. Itachi only watched as he spoke. He hadn't expected Sasuke to admit it so promptly. Sasuke was usually the type to glare at him and question his sources. But this Sasuke seemed different. He was more astute. More _relaxed? _

Looking him over, Itachi quickly found that this was the first time he had seen Sasuke so relaxed in his presence. He was no longer sitting perfectly straight with his arms crossed. No, today his shoulders hung loosely, he sat comfortably in his seat and his fingers strummed against his thigh in accompaniment to the music that the car next to them was playing. Itachi's brow rose at his new stance, totally bewildered.

"I thought he'd killed you," Sasuke said finally, pulling Itachi from his confusion. "I went to get some answers."

Itachi chuckled at the notion of Sasuke avenging the brother he hardly spoke to. It was foreign to him that Sasuke was, in a round-about way, saying he did, in-fact, care about his brother. Death did funny thing to people, to Sasuke in particular.

Beside him, Sasuke flushed slightly, and shook his head in annoyance.

"You found him in that diner didn't you?" Itachi asked in a soft tone, moments later. "You're the one who took that portfolio from my desk."

Sasuke's only reply was a nod and a small smirk.

"What 'answers' did he give you?"

Itachi's eyes were on the slow-moving traffic. The lights were about to turn and if he was lucky he could make it to the corner of Block Three before they reverted back to red. He could feel Sasuke's eyes on him, but he didn't meet his gaze.

"He's the on who lead me to the belief that you were still alive," Sasuke murmured. His voice was low and fragile, notes Itachi hadn't heard in his voice since they were children. "I figured Shisui was up to something when I went back to the unit, so I followed him." Itachi nodded, urging his brother to continue. He held back to the desire to smirk at how shrewd Sasuke had become to follow his older cousin. Shrewd and _bold._

"I return, I led Orochimaru to you," the younger man finished, his voice still in that low, deep tenor.

The car was eerily silent for the next minute. Neither of them spoke and even the traffic seemed to still. The only sound was the, still playing, small thump of bass coming from the car beside them. The light should have changed by then, but it remained that, much-hated, bright-crimson colour.

"It's not your fault, Sasuke."

"But if I hadn't of-"

"You said yourself, Orochimaru knew I was alive," Itachi cut him off, his voice louder and more authoritative. "He had already taken Koichi by the time you reached us. It's not your fault," he finished.

Sasuke merely nodded. The music from the red Honda cut off abruptly when the owner of the vehicle switched the station. Itachi swore that the small man behind the wheel must have been deaf, as the loud, shrill voice of a reporter filled the car. He groaned inwardly when she announced that the press conference with the Superintendent General was to begin at four o'clock that afternoon, - only ten minutes away. He pressed the small button beside him to close the car window when the woman began to recount details of Orochimaru's past. He'd heard it all before. His job was to delve into every aspect of this man's life, his past.

"I wish we could get this guy already," Sasuke muttered moments later. "This has been the longest week of my life." Sasuke turned suddenly then, as if he had just remembered something. "Have they released Kakashi's body yet? I know he was murdered, but autopsies are usually pretty fast."

Itachi tensed slightly. He wasn't supposed to share classified information, but after today he felt like he could depend on Sasuke. They had, sort-of, reconciled their differences. He was sure that after this case they would be able to sit down and iron out their relationship. In fact, he wished for nothing more.

"Kakashi's not dead," he whispered. He refused to look at Sasuke's shocked expression, he was more intent on watching the cars ahead of him. Some sort of accident must have taken place because the traffic was ridiculous. "Kakashi was the officer who arrested Orochimaru. Ibiki thought it best to move him."

"But Ino told me about the note-"

"The note was real," Itachi replied, interrupting Sasuke. "It was mailed to him after the accident. Ibiki thought it was best to move him to a separate location as he would, most likely, be the object of Orochimaru's rage."

Sasuke's eyes widened. Some of the week now making sense to him. "That why there was a question mark at the end of the note. He didn't believe you were dead."

Itachi nodded once. He removed his hands from the wheel, completely giving up on the afternoon traffic.

"Have you told Sakura about her father?" Sasuke asked a minute later.

"No," Itachi said quietly. "Her plane will not have landed yet."

"It'll be tough," Sasuke said, sighing loudly afterwards.

Itachi's eyes narrowed. "Excuse me?"

"For Sakura, I mean," he said quickly. "I mean, at least you and I still have mom. But Sakura will have no one. Both her parents are dead and she has no siblings. It'll be tough."

Itachi closed his eyes, breathing deeply. He had been trying to escape from the fact that his father-in-law was, indeed, dead. Sakura was always an emotional woman; wore her heart on her sleeve. Itachi knew she would be absolutely devastated when she learned of her father's murder.

However, Itachi could not claim to know the emotions that would overcome her. He wasn't as close to his father as Sakura had been to hers. He grew up in a comfortable home, surrounded by many family members. Sakura, after her mother was killed, grew up with only her father as support. Sakura told him that leaving her father in Yokohama to be with him in Tokyo, two years into their relationship was the hardest thing she had ever done. Hell, all throughout their relationship, hardly a day went by when she didn't call her father to see how he was doing. No, Itachi couldn't even begin to imagine how alone, fragile, or _distraught _she would feel.

Sasuke was right. She had no blood relatives left alive, except for Koichi. The young boy of four was now her only family. Although he was still, legally, married to her, Itachi thought it selfish to call himself 'her family'. He would only be part of that,every shrinking community, if she wanted him to be. And until he thought she had grieved sufficiently for her loss, he wouldn't broach the subject with her. He would only be the shoulder for her to cry on when she got back.

He opened his eyes slowly; could feel Sasuke's gaze on him. But then, that darned light finally turned green. Soundlessly, he sped up, passing the lights and swerving right onto the main road. He was thankful the main road was not as busy. He would make the conference after all.

* * *

><p>Sakura's heart stilled when she heart the soft sound of someone padding upstairs. Instinctively, she rose to her feet, anxious as to who her visitor was. She moved towards the door but had only made it to the bed when the door opened, revealing Madara on the other side. He had that same smirk plastered on his face as he closed the door behind him.<p>

Sakura took deep breaths, steeping backwards as he walked further into the room. "Where's Koichi?" she called softly. Her eyes narrowed vehemently and even though her maternal instincts told her to kick the guy in the crotch and run to find her son, she spoke gently. If she remembered anything Itachi told her, it was too remain calm and not upset her captive.

She watched carefully, as Madara placed a small leather bag down on the bed beside her. "He's fine," he said with a deep, rich voice.

Her eyes were still narrowed as she took another deep breath. "I didn't ask how he was. I asked _where _he was..."

The old man's hands ceased their ministrations on the bag. He looked at her bemused, like she had just said the funniest thing on the planet. "Take a seat, _Sakura._" She watched as he gestured to the bed, his other hand buried in the leather bag beside him.

Sakura shook her head violently. "No. I'm getting Koichi and we're leaving-"

"Sit down," he shouted, his voice resounding throughout the room. Sakura's heart stilled with fear. His eyes were furious and piercing into her. She stared into those eyes as she took a seat on the bed. She swallowed the lump in her throat as her heart suddenly began to race.

Madara sighed as he took a seat next to her, his hand leaving the bag. Sakura moved backwards, putting as much distance as possible between them. Her eyes were still on his, but for the first time, Sakura really looked into them. The red and black speckled orbs looked so familiar. The deeper she looked, the more heightened her sense of recognition became. It wasn't long before she felt that chilly air and the small of rainwater wash over her.

"_Sakura," she whispered, her voice cracking. "I need you to get down on the floor and hide."_

Those haunting red eyes, staring at her through the darkness of that night.

"_Please," she heard her mother say softly. "I have my daughter-"_

Sakura squeezed her eyes shut for fear of hearing the same gunshot reverberating through the car again. All she saw was her mother's pink tresses flowing over her lifeless body and those same red eyes boring into her very soul.

Her eyes opened, and her hand flew to her mouth. "It's you," she mumbled through her fingers. Small tears pricked the corners of her eyes and her heart was in her mouth. The man in front of her smiled a sickening smile, shaking his head from side to side.

"Who knew we'd be family someday."

She had the sudden urge to throw up. Her tears blurred her vision but refused to leave her eyes. In that moment, Sakura completely succumbed to the realization that this man, this murdering bastard was more than likely going to end her life that afternoon.

Madara grabbed her wrist, pulling her towards him. She drew in a deep breath, terrified to even speak. She watched that sickening smile disappear from his face as his free hand delved into the bag beside him. What came next, would haunt her for the rest of her life. Sakura stared in horror as Madara pulled a syringe from his bag and scooted closer to her.

She knew it was for her and so she squirmed, trying to wrangle her wrist free from his grasp. "Please, don't do this," she whispered softly. "I'm pregnant."

She watched as his eyes softened and the hand that held the syringe retracted slightly. She tried to even out her breathing, as her heart was beating loudly in her ears.

And then she heard it. A small voice calling through the air. It was Koichi! He was calling her. Relief washed over her to hear the small voice of her son echoing up the stairs outside her room. "Mom?"

"Koichi!" she called back as loud as she could. He didn't sound scared or lost. He sounded like he was simply looking for her. Like they were at home and he was calling her upstairs to look at one of his drawings. She regained some of the strength she had lost in those last, desperate minutes and tried to free her wrist from her captors grip. Every ounce of her being told her escape was in her reach, if she could only shake the old man off of her.

But it was not to be. Madara was too strong and yanked her arm to him, exposing her wrist and the inside of her arm to him. Before she knew it, she felt the sting of a syringe pushing through her skin. She shrieked, a loud, deafening sound. What had she been injected with?

It only lasted a moment, before he withdrew the offending object and threw it back in his bag. Tears finally left her eyes as she watched a small drop of red liquid pool on her forearm.

"That's going to knock you out for a short while," he called quietly, his eyes narrowed at her. "We're going to my home. I suggest you don't move about as that takes effect"

Sakura felt her hopes of escape fade slowly and irreversibly away from her as Madara slammed the door closed, locking it after him. She had already started to feel light-headed, but she tried to fight it anyway. Being a doctor, she knew it was futile, having been injected straight into her bloodstream, but she had to believe.

* * *

><p>"I'm sorry, but that will be all for now," Ibiki said evenly. "I will say more on Orochimaru after his trial next month."<p>

Itachi watched as reporter after reporter clambered over each other to try and have their say. He was just glad that he could leave the department station at night without being hounded for information on the escapee, Orochimaru.

"Now, I will need the public's co-operation in apprehending another felon." Itachi's eyes widened and turned to Ibiki. They had agreed not to publicize the hunt for the man travelling with Orochimaru, yet Ibiki was now blatantly ignoring that deal. Beside him, he saw Shisui muttering under his breath. He knew the man was just as pissed as he was. Itachi watched in frustration as Ibiki raised a photograph of the unknown suspect. He cringed when the Superintendent General appealed for witnesses or anyone with information to come forward. It would be a long night.

Ibiki had gone too far.

* * *

><p>When he entered the conference room, Itachi saw several of the team already waiting. Shisui was talking to Kisame, looking exceedingly pissed off. Shisui spotted him soon after, and nodded before calling the team to order.<p>

"Alright, everyone, let's try wrap this up."

Itachi took his seat beside Kisame, which was a bad idea, as Kisame had a rather loud, gruff voice. It wouldn't have bothered him normally, but today had not been a normal day. "Shisui, I thought we were keeping the killer's presence quiet for the time being?"

"_We _were," Shisui called sarcastically. "But Ibiki thought otherwise." He eyed the group wearily when they started to whisper. He knew some agents didn't particularly like Ibiki, but he was still their superior. "Settle down."

"Hey Shisui," Kisame piped up again. "I was thinking. If Orochimaru took this guy with him to the middle-east and then brought him back, wouldn't it make sense if he gave him somewhere to stay?"

"We have to explore all possibilities. You can check that out, Kisame. There is a copy of the portfolio in the database now."

* * *

><p>It had seemed like hours since Ibiki's conference. And since then, the department was flooded with calls from worried girls and worried mothers. None of the hundred calls they had received proved useful and Itachi was getting sick of it. His team had to waste their time with those calls when they could be doing something useful. To get away from the madness, Itachi decided to visit the hospital again, in the hopes of interviewing Orochimaru and extracting some information from the man.<p>

And it wasn't long before he found himself back in the same corridor as this afternoon. Genma was replaced by someone younger, someone Itachi didn't recognise. He looked around and found that Doctor Tanaka was nowhere to be seen. He gave the young man at the door a nod before slipping past. The boy must have known who he was, because he swallowed quickly, nodding furiously.

The room was dark; but then, it was nearing seven o'clock.. He walked closer to the bed to find Orochimaru lying down. But judging from the rattling noises and uneven breathing, he knew the old man was awake.

"Come to interrogate me, Itachi?"

"No," Itachi answered quietly, so as not to disturb the peace of the room. "I just want a name."

Orochimaru erupted into a raspy, sort of chuckle. Itachi could only watch as the man reached out a shaking limb to grab the glass of water on the table. He only managed a mouthful before he had to put it down again.

"Why would I give you anything?"

Itachi breathed evenly through his nose for a moment. "I can offer you a deal."

"A deal?" Orochimaru spat out. His laughter was softer now, he obviously hadn't the strength to take it further. "I have terminal lung cancer. I need no deal."

If Itachi was surprised, he didn't show it. He took the glass of water and handed it to the sick man. Orochimaru, eyed Itachi carefully before taking the glass. "I would still, very much, like that name."

Orochimaru smiled before sipping from the glass. "I can't give you that. For your own sake, really. It'll ruin that perfect family tree of yours."

"What do you mean?"

"You're a family of law-enforcers, aren't you? You're father was Superintendent General, rest his soul. If I'm not mistaken, even your mother was a police officer before she became pregnant with you," he smiled, setting the glass back down. "Then there's you, little Sasuke and, of course, your cousin."

"You know quite a bit about me," Itachi smirked, holding his ground.

Orochimaru sat up slightly, resting himself against the pillow behind him. "I'll give you three guesses as to what your son will be, when he grows up." Itachi merely smiled at him, waiting for the old man to get to his point. "It's perfect, really. So, no. I won't shatter that illusion of perfection surrounding the Uchiha family."

"The name," Itachi prodded suddenly. Orochimaru had touched a raw nerve when he mocked the Uchiha name.

"Such a shame-"

"I asked for the name. Please," Itachi said once more, louder this time.

Orochimaru stilled. "Fine," he closed his eyes, breathing deeply. "His name is Uchiha Madara."

For the first time during their confrontation, Itachi visibly tensed. "Uchiha?" he asked quietly.

Orochimaru erupted into a fit of wheezy laughter once more. He held his stomach trying to calm himself. "Didn't you know that good ol' Grandpa Uchiha is a serial-killer?" he mocked quietly, voice full of sarcasm. "A psychopath."

"You're lying."

"What have I got left to lie for?" Orochimaru's voice was suddenly darker, deeper even. "My doctor says I have merely days left..."

Itachi watched the old man smirking at him as he retreated from the room. That sickening, twisted, evil smirk would haunt him. He slammed the door closed after him, hurrying down the hospital hallway. He dug his cellphone from his pocket as he walked, punching in a familiar number.

"Mom?"

"..."

"I know, but I need some help."

"..."

"Did my father ever talk about... _his father_?"

* * *

><p>He stood in the lobby of the TMPD. His mother had quietened at the mention of his grandfather, something Itachi took as an ominous sign. He knew whatever she was on her way to tell him was not good news. If it were, surely she would have told him over the phone and not insisted on coming down to the station. He tried his best to quell the feelings of sickness that washed over him as he waited for her.<p>

He spun around when he heard her voice. Her face was the picture of happiness as she walked toward him. "Itachi," she cried happily, wrapping her arms around him. "I was so shocked last night when Sasuke called and told me about you. I wanted to come see you but Sasuke said it wasn't a great time."

"It's not, mom. This case is-"

"I understand," she interrupted, smiling sadly. "We'll talk properly when it's over. I'm just glad you're okay."

Itachi smiled and nodded before leading the woman to the chairs near where they stood. It was only when they sat down that Itachi noticed a large envelope in her hands. He regarded it carefully, tilting his head. "I knew someone would look for this one day," she said quietly, pressing the package into his hands. "Your father worked on it, almost, daily."

"What is it?" Itachi asked, inspecting the outside of the envelope. When his mother refused to answer, Itachi opened it carefully, pulling a large handful of papers from inside it.

"I know the case you're working on. Your father investigated the same case right after you were born. It was Summer and young girls were being murdered on a regular basis. It went on for years without a single arrest. Naturally your father, who led the case, was blamed for the failure in apprehending the killer."

"..."

"It was only after the killings stopped that your father began working on this. He never spoke much of his father. He never knew him, really."

"Why didn't he show this to someone?"

"He never had much proof. Just this little theory. It stemmed from that artist impression of the suspect that surviving girl had described."

He scanned over the documents in his hand, not sure if he should believe everything that was happening. But three people had now identified Madara Uchiha as a person of interest, and something told Itachi he was _the _person of interest.

"I know it isn't much. It's all your father had left when he..."

"This is great, mom. Thank you."

"You're welcome." Mikoto stood from her seat, but still stared at her son. She placed a small kiss on his cheek, not caring that they were still in the TMPD lobby. "Come home soon."

* * *

><p>Sasuke burst though the doors of the conference room Shisui was currently using. Only three or four agents remained in the room as many had chosen to go home and get some sleep. Kisame and Shikamaru were talking quietly at the table, pointing to the laptop screen in front of them every so often. Shisui was at the head of the table, looking over something, but Sasuke failed to see the person he was looking for.<p>

"What is it, Sasuke?" Shisui called, looking up from his work.

The younger Uchiha sighed quietly, looking around the room. "You seen Itachi? I have something that might be connected."

Shisui shook his head and opened his mouth. But before he could say anything, Itachi walked through the conference room doors. "I'm right here. What is it?"

Sasuke turned quickly. He looked at the small stack of papers in his brother's hand for a moment, but quickly shook himself. "I was at the front desk earlier and I found this," he held out a piece of paper for Itachi to take. "It's a report for a break-in last night at the Tokyo University Medical Centre."

"Sasuke," Shisui began in an exasperated tone. "We hardly have time-"

"A case of Temazepam was stolen, Shisui," Sasuke countered loudly, cutting his older cousin off. He turned back to face Itachi who was now smiling. "It's him," he said quietly.

"Where was this?" Kisame shouted not a moment later.

"University Med. Centre," Sasuke called. "It's only a couple of blocks from here."

Kisame's brow furrowed and his attention went back to the computer screen in front of him. After a few seconds of typing, he laughed loudly. "Orochimaru owns a block or apartments right across from that place. I was right!"

Itachi looked up to his older cousin. It wasn't his investigation anymore, he had no right to call it. It was only a moment later before Shisui smiled and rose from his seat.

"Let's go," he called, already walking towards the double doors of the conference room.

* * *

><p><strong>End of Chapter.<br>**

* * *

><p>Thanks for reading. Reviews?<br>All my love!**  
><strong>


	10. The Turning Point

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

* * *

><p><strong>Title:<strong> Synthesis

**Author:** Absolute. Tranquillity

**Pairings:** ItaSaku

**Genre: **Family/Crime

**Word count:** 7841

**Rating:** M

**Notes: **The chapter you have been waiting for! Well... it's right at the end. :P

* * *

><p><strong>Synthesis<br>Chapter Ten  
><strong>

* * *

><p>It was already late when Itachi finally made it home. The front door was slammed shut behind him and he strode casually, and exhaustedly, into the living room to collapse on the sofa. He flung the keys on the coffee table in front of him, not caring where they landed. His head rested against the sofa; feeling as if he would fall into a deep sleep at any given moment. However, he knew he would have to resist that urge as, at any moment, the lab would be calling with the impending results of tonight's events.<p>

His head pounded at the very though of working through the night once more. But it had to be done.

Itachi closed his eyes and shifted more comfortably into the sofa, relaxing his tired muscles. He felt that familiar, light-headed sensation pulse through him as he recounted the days arduous and perplexing events.

It had taken mere minutes to get a warrant approved for the apartment block, and only an hour before it was surrounded by officers. Entering the building, his body was flooded with relief at the prospect of the investigation finally coming to a close. It was a long-shot, but it was the first tangible lead they had received throughout the entire operation. The drug Temazepam was the calling card of the killer; he knew the missing case was stolen by the same man who murdered that young girl on Monday morning. He refused to put a name on the killer, even though '_Madara Uchiha' _had been verified independently by Orochimaru, his mother and his dead father's work, as the anaesthetist killer. He made sure Ibiki and Shisui knew of the findings -he didn't want to be in the firing line for withholding evidence- but he made sure that nothing public or formal was announced without proof. He wasn't sure if it was ego or common sense that forbade him from putting a name on the man terrorising his Hometown for years. It would certainly sting to find he was a direct relative of this man, but there was also that one, critical afterthought. Was their any evidence?

No. There were no DNA samples of fingerprints on file from any of the original victims, the respective tests having not been used at that time. Exhuming bodies of women they had only been made aware of yesterday would take far too long, not to mention, it would be pointless. Evidence would have already been washed away during the funeral rituals.

But would it even matter if their were fingerprints or DNA samples on the victims? Itachi could only presume that there were no records of Madara Uchiha in the database, so DNA matching or fingerprint analysis would prove futile, even if evidence had been left on the bodies.

But Itachi was no stranger to the inner workings of his lab. He knew that if a sample of DNA belonging to 'the killer' were found, they could, potentially, compare it against his own – or even Sasuke or Shisui's for that matter. The would know in only minutes if the subject was of Uchiha blood or not. And that would be all Ibiki would need.

The man was hot-headed and craved glory. If he saw the chance to name _The Anaesthetist Killer, _and claim the capture as his own, then by hell would he take it. Happily, too. A resolute Itachi decided that he would make every man, woman and child certain as to the identity of the man responsible for the apprehension of the man, Uchiha Madara. His father. The plethora of information contained in those documents belonging to Uchiha Fugaku was invaluable. There was a complete history, a psychological profile and even a clear motive spelled out in those few pages.

Thinking about it, Itachi concluded that it was pure ego that stopped him from naming Uchiha Madara as his target. It fit perfectly. Dates were exact and everything in the file practically screamed psychopath. But it simply would not do. The sheer embarrassment that would be brought on the, once proud, family name would be unimaginable. It would certainly be a vote of confidence against him if he were ever to take a higher position within the police department.

However, his feelings would not interfere with the final conclusion. His hand was dealt, and if his grandfather was indeed, a killer, Itachi hoped he was the round victor.

Beside him, his phoned beeped twice, signalling an incoming call. Accepting the call, he pressed the device to his ear and spoke quickly down the line. "Uchiha Itachi?"

"Good evening, Uchiha-sama," Shizune's voice met his ears in hushed and slow tone. "I'll be brief. The blood found this evening was a match to Takashiro Ami."

Itachi's eyes closed for a moment in anger. The girl had been found early in the week, yet no one pegged her as a potential victim, save for Sasuke. If only he had listened to his younger brother and investigated her final moments, they could have traced the killer faster. Forensics did say that whoever was in the apartment, where Ami's blood was found, had only just left. Almost as if they were in a hurry. He wasn't one to dwell, but the feelings of pure anger and inadequacy that flooded him were inescapable. They could have had him.

"Sir, there was another blood sample taken from the scene," Shizune started again. "But this one was considerably smaller, only a pin-prick of blood was recovered. Would it be okay to leave it on trace over-night? My team are exhausted."

Itachi thought for a moment, breathing steadily through his nose. "Once I have the results at first light, then it is acceptable."

"Thank you Uchiha-sama."

The phone was discarded somewhere beside him soon after. He frowned and wrinkled his nose; the odour of that apartment still clung to him. It was damp and musty and smelled too much like blood for his liking. It was not an odour he wanted to sense again but he doubted he would ever forget it. From the moment they entered the apartment block, that smell was rife in the air. But then, when they found the small, studio apartment on the sixth floor, the stink was overpowering. He felt almost nauseated at the images the smell produced: large, dried splashes of blood on the carpet, blood covered hand-prints found on the stairwell.

But perhaps, the most gruesome picture was of something so innocent. Something that had been playing on his mind since the moment he had seen it. Inside the ground floor hallway, a small stuffed giraffe was recovered and placed in an evidence bag. The thoughts of young children being inside this building of horrors, let alone being a victim in that place, was enough to make, not only Itachi, but the whole team feel sick. What made him feel worse was the fact that he knew his son, Koichi, had that exact same stuffed animal in his possession. A present from his grandmother, it was.

Itachi rubbed his eyes and pushed his bangs from his vision. He was exhausted and deliberating over the days events would do him no good. What he needed was sleep, so as his eyes would be fresh and revived for a long, laborious stay in his office the next day. He rose from the sofa, taking his cellphone with him, before he headed for the stairs. He tried his best to calm his uneasy and ever calculating mind in preparation for sleep. His only goal for that evening was restful and unhampered sleep.

In the end, they found no trace of the case of stolen temazepam, nor any trace of their suspect. What they did find was even worse; pools of blood and the realization that they could have done more.

* * *

><p>Sakura's eyes opened, slowly, for just a moment before she had to close them again. She felt drowsy and knew it was the feeling that came from waking from a deep sleep. She managed to force herself up into a sitting position on the bed, her muscles aching and eyes still half closed in oblivion.<p>

In between her blinks of confusion, Sakura managed to scrutinize her surroundings. It was unfamiliar territory. No longer could she hear the noise of ongoing traffic, instead, she heard... birds? Listening carefully, eyes still sleepy and shut, she heard the unmistakable sound of bird-calls and the rustling of trees in the wind.

It took her a few moments, but when Sakura finally regained her cognitive function, her memories of the previous day returned to her thick and fast. Her eyes snapped open. Frantically, she scanned the new room she was occupying. It was completely different to the hotel-esque abode she was kept captive in the day before. While the apartment building was cramped and dank, this room was warm, and suspiciously clean.

She shuffled to the edge of the bed, struggling to keep her limbs from shaking. Her feet found the floor and soon Sakura was ambling towards the window on the far side of the room. Her fatigued and shaky legs had just managed to carry her to the window sill before they gave out. Gasping, she grabbed into the wall for support. She leaned heavily against it. Sakura couldn't help the small whimper that left her lips as she stared out the large, cold window. For as far as her eyes could see, all she could detect were trees, fields, mountains. She was far from home. Her hand covered her mouth as she took in her surroundings. A feeling of hopelessness settled in her, not yet rounded, stomach.

* * *

><p>Sasuke entered their temporary base, the conference room, to find only a fraction of the team present. It was Saturday, so Sasuke couldn't understand why they were not present. It was still a working day as far as they were concerned. Shisui was speaking to Shizune, looking over some pages. He could only guess they were the blood results she had shown him on Thursday before he had followed Shisui to the farmhouse. He couldn't for the life of him, remember what he had done with the set she had given him that day. They were forgotten somewhere, discarded after the discovery of his brother being alive. Still, when he had shown the results to Itachi yesterday in the lab, he assumed the older man would inform their cousin of the findings.<p>

He took a seat beside Shikamaru, placing the page he had just printed in front of him. Itachi, who sat opposite him, looked up briefly to inspect the single page, before his gaze went back to whatever he was reading. Focusing his vision, Sasuke saw that it was, again, the collection of Orochimaru's property. He sighed. Itachi believed that the killer's new location was somewhere in that portfolio, but Sasuke did not. Surely a man intelligent enough to avoid apprehension for over thirty years would not be so predictable.

Still, Itachi was sharper than he was; perhaps he would see something. He cleared his throat, grabbing the attention of his older brother and Shikamaru. "Where is everyone?"

Shikamaru was the only one to answer, his voice was low and lazy. "They've been reassigned."

"Oh," was all Sasuke could manage to say. It's not like he really cared, in fact, it was much easier to breath now that ten or twelve people had moved from their temporary home. He turned his attention to his brother. The man was still staring intently at the documents in front of him, his mouth settled in a harsh glare. "I had some free time this morning," he began uneasily. It was a lie, though. He didn't have free time that morning. What agent did with a case like this on their hands? He had, in fact, worked through his morning break, eager to put the case to rest and move on. He too was getting weary. But what bothered him more was the way the operation had affected Itachi and Shisui.

They had changed dramatically during the past week and it irked him to no end. He knew Itachi had reason to be, what with his son being taken from the country. But Shisui was normally such a carefree man. He rarely let his work dictate his life. He compartmentalised better than anyone, it made him particularly well suited to his job. Sasuke saw how everyday seemed to carve a new line of exhaustion into his face, and how each day he became more unapproachable than before. This killer was tearing his family apart and they weren't even close to finding him.

"And?" he heard Shikamaru mutter from beside him. He had gotten lost in his thoughts and had to shake himself off before recalling what he was began to say.

"I narrowed down the list Ino produced for you. I omitted anyone who didn't fit his physical type and anyone who had prescriptions for the drug temazepam. This gave a total of one hundred and fifty woman, including the known victims from the casefile."

"They were all overdosed?" he heard Kisame ask. He didn't even notice the man before this and had to turn his head sharply, to find him looking over his shoulder, reading his results.

"No," he said shakily, uneasy that the, _much, _taller man was so close to him. "The woman who were found between 1975 and 1982 all had trace amounts of temazepam in their blood. The women who's deaths occurred after 1992 all had an amount of the drug three times than the previous victims."

"What changed?" Shikamaru murmured, more to himself really, as his hands buried themselves in his hair.

"Maybe, we've been wrong all this time," Kisame said suddenly, standing to his full height. "What if it's a different guy? A copycat?"

"No," Itachi called quietly. "It's the same individual."

Sasuke wasn't sure how Itachi knew it was the same guy, but his gut instinct told him he was right. His eyes lost focus as he stared into space. He knew they were on the right track, but it was difficult to connect the pieces. If only they had one decent lead, he knew they would crack this case. Noticing Itachi's head turned swiftly and his eyes narrow, Sasuke raised an eyebrow in acknowledgement.

"Temazepam is an insomnia drug, correct?" he heard his brother ask quickly. Sasuke nodded. He saw Shizune's head snap in their direction at the mention of the drug. She had more experience with it than the rest of them, working in the lab most of the time. Both her and Shisui ceased talking when they heard Itachi's musings. "Why would a man, who is strong enough to stab someone over sixty times, need a drug to subdue his victim?"

Shikamaru pursed his lips, shaking his head, whilst Shisui glared at Itachi, obviously wondering where his cousin was going with his thoughts.

"Maybe he wants to make the whole process simpler?" Kisame called suddenly in that gruff voice of his.

"Make what simpler?"

"I don't know," he mumbled sheepishly. "Transport?"

"Precisely," Itachi said quietly, hint of a smirk touching his lips. "Shikamaru, would you care to inform the rest of these officers of that witness report you collected?"

Shikamaru took a breath,turning ever so slightly to face the rest of them. "A witness at the club Takashiro Ami was last seen in, said that they saw her leaving the club at around midnight with an older man. They said he was propping her up and that she could barely walk."

"He'd drugged her at the club?"

"Safe to assume so," Shikamaru said, nodding. "They couldn't give a description, but the witness said he looked like an elderly gentleman."

"I don't understand," Shizune called. "Why was she overdosed?"

Itachi sighed, but not in annoyance. Sasuke watched his brother as he stared at the desk in front of him. He didn't answer Shizune's question and everyone seemed to be waiting for him to speak. After growing up with Itachi and working with him, Sasuke could tell when his brother was thinking. Behind the bangs that half covered his face, Sasuke could practically see him calculating and formulating.

"It is my belief, that this man did not intend to kill Ami Tanaka and dump her body behind the nightclub. The amount of temazepam in her system leads me to the conclusion that he wanted her asleep for a long period of time," he finished easily, taking a breath. "He has been using the same drug for years and would not mix up dosage so easily. What if the apartment was only a 'last-resort' of sorts? I think, he intended to bring the girl somewhere else entirely."

"But she fought back," Shizune called quietly, staring into space. She shook her head, her eyes focusing again. Her free hand flipped through the pages that were stacked in her arms. Pulling one from the pile, she placed it on front of Itachi. "This is a post-mortem report. It clearly shows defensive wounds on the body." Itachi merely nodded, glaring at the page that had been placed in front of him.

The theory echoed in Sasuke's head for a moment. Yes, it made sense the more he thought about it. The woman he had listed on the page in front of him were all from different cites in different prefectures. It made sense that they were all taken to a main location before being discarded in different parts of the country. This man went to great pains to get away with his murderous ways. _But not for long. _

Sasuke was grateful for the fact that they had a solid theory, but at the same time, Japan was a huge place. Without more to go on, they would have to scour every acre of land to locate the bastard.

He looked to Shizune when he heard her sigh loudly. Her eyes were closed and her head shaking. "There was enough Temazepam in the latest victims' system to put them to sleep for hours. He could be travelling for miles with these girls." Sasuke's blood ran cold at Shizune's words.

* * *

><p>Sakura managed to drag herself back to the bed on which she awoke, a short while ago. Her whole body still felt slightly numb. She tried her best to quieten her own choked sobs and tearless whimpers. She needed to concentrate.<p>

A little while after she woke up, she had started to feel nauseous. She wasn't sure if it was the gravity of the situation playing tricks on her mind or if that nauseous feeling was originating in her uterus. She prayed to Kami that it was her mind but when the waves of pain started to worsen, she knew where it was emanating from. A hand cradled her stomach as she tried her best to stop the tears building in her eyes. Panicking would not help the situation. The doctor in her told herself to calm down and breath deeply.

But it didn't help, because soon, a violent cramp took hold of her body and Sakura hissed in pain. When the wave had eased, Sakura wiped the moisture from her face. She sat up quickly, desperately searching for something, anything that would help her and her baby. She had tried the door earlier to find it locked, so her final hope was the window. She searched frantically for something large to try and smash it with, but there was nothing substantial, save for an old lamp. But what good would it do? She could smash the glass and then what? Where would she go? She was in the middle of nowhere. Besides, she could never leave Koichi.

Another stab of pain ripped through her and Sakura had to bite her lip to stop from shrieking. She had to do something. _Come on, Sakura, _she whispered to herself. _Think!_

She rubbed her tired eyes, wiping excess moisture from it as she did. When she removed the hand from her face, she saw it. _Her handbag. _The old man must have thrown in into the room alongside her, not checking it's contents. Sakura found herself grateful that this man was in fact human and made mistakes. She didn't dare question her luck, she simply bounded off the bed towards the bag. She used the last of her strength to reach the small object. The pinkette sat cross-legged, hoping to ease the muscles of her uterus, whilst she ransacked her purse. Rummaging through it, Sakura soon found her cellphone.

She almost laughed when she found it with half life left. A small smile graced her lips even as tears of agony slid down her face. She was still biting her lip. She typed in the only number that could help. But as she pressed the call button another excruciating ripple of pain erupted from her core. She didn't dare suppress the shriek of pain that forced it's way out of her mouth. Her tears flowed once more and the phone fell from her grasp, bouncing and settling somewhere on the floor. It was only moments before everything went black for the pink-haired woman and she fell to the ground, the pain too much to bear.

* * *

><p>Itachi pulled the phone from his jacket pocket. A small smile adorned his lips when he saw '<em>Sakura'<em> flash up on the screen. Excusing himself, Itachi let the conference room and accepted the call. It would be nice to speak to Sakura and Koichi, he decided.

"Hello?"

"..."

"Sakura?"

_Odd. _Itachi pulled the cellphone from his ear, glaring at the device. He didn't understand what had happened, but decided she had obviously just hit a bad spot for coverage. He ended the call, hoping for a callback. But after a couple of minutes of silence, he gave up. The call never came. The case already had him on edge. Koichi was compromised once, he did not need a repeat of that episode. He needed to know that they were safe, even if it seemed a little unorthodox.

He dialled Sakura's number, pressing the phone to his ear once more. It rang for a few moments, but there was no answer. He let it ring for almost three full minutes, plenty of time for her to move position if she really wanted to. But no one picked up the phone. Something didn't feel right, and with the current investigation he had found himself embroiled in, he had a right to feel a little apprehensive.

He turned slightly when he heard the door opening behind him. Shizune stepped out, flashed him a small smile before carrying on down the hallway. Obviously, heading back to her lab. It took him only moments to figure out what he wanted to do. "Shizune," he called after her, quietly.

She snapped her head back in his direction. She was only a few steps ahead of him, and so he easily saw her brow rising in a questioning movement. "Hm?"was her only reply.

"I have a request."

* * *

><p>It was only moments before Shisui had called him back into the office. His cousin called him to the far side of the space when he re-entered the conference room. Whatever he wanted to talk about, clearly he didn't want the others to hear.<p>

"I spent the best part of the morning piling through your father's information," he spoke in a low voice, his eyes darting between Itachi and the rest of the group. Itachi watched him very carefully. His eyes no longer hard and anxious but more relaxed. Too relaxed. He seemed almost spooked.

"What is it, Shisui?" he found himself asking when Shisui did not continue.

"Suzamaru Haruki was the first victim to be found, remember?" Itachi watched him for moment, before nodding slowly. He recalled that name being mentioned during their first briefing. She was stabbed seventy-eight times, if he remember correctly and was one of the first victims to be found. She was also the oldest victim, at thirty-five. Her murder was different to those that preceded and followed, and so, they had agreed that she was of utmost significance to the case and to the killer.

"Uncle Fugaku's report mentions her specifically. He talks abut how he feels she is the key to identifying her murderer," Shisui spoke again, his voice clearer now, but still in hushed tones. "I requested Shizune to dig up everything she could on the woman."

"Any information regarding Suzamaru Haruki to be found is already in that file," Itachi snapped.

"I'm sorry, but you're wrong," Shisui replied swiftly, his voice raising an octave. "I ordered her to find every details pertaining to this woman's life."

Itachi remained quiet. He was slightly dumbfounded to have Shisui tell him he was wrong so forcefully. He merely watched as his older cousin snatched a piece of paper from the table in front of them. "She found an application for a marriage license that was never used."

"Who was she to marry?"

Itachi watched as Shisui paused once more, breathing deeply and shutting his eyes. "Uchiha Sato, the father of Uchiha Madara."

Itachi felt his heart still. It was only then that he truly believed Uchiha Madara was _the _suspect.

"Itachi," Shizune's voice reached him in a shrill, worried tone. He turned quickly, raising an eyebrow at her obvious displeasure. She walked briskly towards him, holding something in her hands. She looked scared when she finally reached him, but he didn't have time to ask questions as before long she had thrust something into his hands.

"Shizune?" Shisui asked worriedly. "What's wrong?"

The woman didn't answer her superior. She kept her gaze on Itachi the whole time, making the Uchiha feel slightly unnerved.

"I traced Sakura's phone to an isolated location north of here. The precise co-ordinates are not available yet, but it's to the extreme north of the country," she finished, her eyes visibly upset. "By the coast."

Itachi heard Shisui mumble beside him. From the corner of his eye he could see his cousin whip out his cellphone. His mind began to race and he was trying his best to think of airport's in the region that would authorise a stopover. He knew there were none.

As if sensing what the Uchiha was thinking, Shizune took a deep breath, before she continued. "When I received the trace, I checked Sakura's flight. Neither her nor Koichi checked in at the airport yesterday."

Like a flash, Itachi was speeding towards the door. "Itachi," he heard Shisui yell after him. "Where are you going?"

His face set in a glare as he swiftly approached the door. "Call Ibiki," he said quickly, pulling the door open. "I'm going to see Orochimaru."

It was only after he'd gone that Shizune let out a small whimper. "Shisui," she called weakly. "That isn't all."

He cocked his brow, wondering what else she could possibly tell him. "What is it?"

"The second set of bloods found in the apartment were a match to Sakura," she almost whispered. 

* * *

><p>It was only minutes before he was back in the hospital. His mind racing and blood pumping. He had told Sakura to stay where she was, to stay close. But she wouldn't listen, and now she is lucky if she's still alive. If she hadn't checked in for her flight, it meant that <em>he <em>had her since yesterday afternoon. _Twenty-four hours. _Kami only knew what he had done to them in twenty-four hours. Itachi felt absolutely sick, almost running down the hospital corridor. He found Orochimaru's door easily, pushing it open with little more force than necessary.

The old man was sitting up in the hospital bed, an ugly smirk plastered on his face when he recognised his visitor. "Captain Uchiha," he rasped out, his voice sounded dry, obviously not having been used in some time.

Itachi stepped further into the room. His expression was a harsh glare and it took all his strength not to attack the man in front of him. The page Shizune had given him earlier was still firmly in his grasp. When he got close enough, he slammed the page down on the bed, ensuring his fist collided with the man's leg.

Orochimaru hissed, but it quickly passed. He was out of breath when he finally managed to sit up and take hold of the document before him. His face contorted slightly, Itachi noticed, like he couldn't understand the information before him. "What is this?" he asked a moment later.

"A map," Itachi snapped. "And my family are somewhere in the highlighted radius to the north."

Orochimaru smirked, a small laugh escaping his lips. "Tell me where he is," Itachi bit out quietly, his face becoming increasingly tight and angered. But the old man refused to answer. He continued to stare at the map in front of him, smiling ever so slightly. "You would protect the man who shot you and murdered Haruno Kenchi." It was only a small reaction, but Orochimaru visibly tensed.

"At least... she'll get what she deserves," he whispered finally. "So will Kabuto."

Itachi's eyes narrowed further, questions burning their way through his mind. "What do you mean?" he asked quietly.

* * *

><p>Sasuke pushed through the doors of Shizune's lab, panting for breath. He had met Itachi downstairs when he returned from his visit to the hospital. He was in a foul mood. Whatever Orochimaru had said to him was not pleasing to his older brother. The man had barely said a word to anyone, save for the younger Uchiha, simply gave Sasuke an unfamiliar cellphone and told him to take it to Shizune before disappearing into the elevator.<p>

Walking further into the lab, he soon found her. Her eye's were puffy, she'd obviously been crying, but she still managed a smile when the younger Uchiha approached. He gave a small nod, he was unsure as of what to say. She was close to Sakura; obviously upset with the turn of events they had found themselves in the midst of. He could hardly believe what Shisui had told them after Itachi stormed out of the conference room. But he wasn't surprised. Many criminals held resentment to their arresting officers, however, Orochimaru was no 'normal' criminal.

He had organised the killing of many, many people during the past thirty years. Surely, toying with his brother's life was _fun _for him. And now he had a serial killer helping him. A man they had foolishly turned a blind eye to after his disappearance instead of carrying on with the investigation. But then, Itachi was only a child when the man fell off the map, Sasuke himself not even being born. They could hardly blame themselves, when it was people like Ibiki who had caused the problem. That man did not deserve the title of Superintendent General.

Sasuke tried his best to downplay his glare as he walked closer to Shizune's desk. "How can I help?" she asked mutely. He took the small cellphone from his breast pocket, laying it gently onto the cool, metal desk. Shizune eyed the device for a moment, not saying a word.

"Sasuke?"

The young male turned his head quickly at the sharp, shrill voice resonating through the lab. His eyes quickly found the offending noise. _Karin. _She had a smirk playing on her lips as she sauntered towards him. Sasuke knew the girl had been trying her luck with the older Uchiha brother for the past few weeks, culminating in an embarrassing rejection for the girl whilst both her an Itachi were in talks with the French police force regarding a case. Sasuke hadn't been told the full details, but Shisui had mentioned that it involved a _naked _Karin lying in wait for Itachi in his hotel room. Like a spider.

Now it seemed the girl had turned her attentions to the youngest Uchiha, if her smirking expression was anything to go by. "What is it, Karin?" he asked quietly, in a bored tone as the young girl took rest beside him.

"Nothing," she sighed, feigning an upset disposition. Sasuke turning his focus back to Shizune, who had now picked up the cellphone to examine it. He was fully aware that Karin had stepped closer to him whilst his back was turned. He almost growled in annoyance at the sheer audacity of the girl, he could feel the heat emanating from her body, she was that close.

"What is that?" she asked rather suddenly, taking a step back from the Uchiha.

Sasuke followed her outstretched finger, to view the cellphone being turned around in Shizune's grasp. "It's Orochimaru's phone. Itachi asked for Shizune to investigate it."

"Oh," she said quietly. She took another step back. Sasuke noticed that the smirk was long gone and was now replaced with a look of nervousness and distress. An eyebrow raised. Karin took another step back. But her sickening smile soon made a comeback. "I'm going to take my lunch now," she cheered. A moment later, she had turned on her heel and walked quickly to the exit. If Sasuke weren't an Uchiha, he would've laughed at her bizarre mood change.

But he didn't have time to think about it. Sakura and Koichi were in danger. He spun around, watching Shizune as she worked. "There is nothing saved here, no numbers whatsoever," she whispered, still pressing buttons the gadget. "But there is a call log."

"Make some calls, then."

Shizune laughed softly, looking up at him. Sasuke observe as she touched some keys before holding the device to her ear. "Nothing," she said moments later, bringing the cellphone in front of her once more.

Another press of a button and the device was at her ear once more. This time, she heard a dialling tone, followed moments later, by a very loud, ringing tone. It came from inside the lab.

Sasuke's eyes widened; he knew it wasn't just coincidence. He followed the sound, pinpointing the epicentre of the noise across the room. His leg's carried him quickly to the desk, only metres away. He rummaged through the papers that littered the surface, quickly finding a beeping cellphone. _Work, _the screen read. He almost scoffed. "This is Karin's phone?" he shouted back to the black-haired woman behind him. She confirmed his suspicions, quickly ending the call she had made.

Sasuke turned back, still eyeing the gadget with disdain. "I'll call security downstairs," he said quickly, whipping his own cellphone from his back pocket. "She'll be arrested before she leaves the building." It may have been too little, too late, but they finally knew who was supplying Orochimaru with all the information he had. Considering this woman had put his family in great peril, Sasuke could only imagine that Itachi would make certain, that she was prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

* * *

><p>He watched as the Superintendent General wrestled with his thoughts. The man was obviously torn in making the decision. Itachi had faith that Ibiki trusted his judgement but it was still a long-shot. After all, Sakura missing her flight and a mixed cellphone signal were not the greatest points of evidence.<p>

But they were so close it seemed impossible that it be untrue. His father's collective work. Orochimaru's cryptic comments only minutes earlier. The victim Suzamaru Haruki. The property Shikamaru found, build soon after Orochimaru's return to Japan. It all fit perfectly into the story.

"He said Kabuto was still alive?" Ibiki asked quietly, staring t the wall in front of him.

Itachi closed his eyes. "He implied it, Superintendent General-sama. But this isn't the time to worry about Yakushi."

"Uchiha-"

"Superintendent, please. Shikamaru found a dwelling built at roughly the same time as Orochimaru returned to Japan. Give us your permission to move on the property."

Itachi saw Ibiki's eyes twitch slightly. It felt like a lifetime, but when Ibiki finally nodded, Itachi felt relief flood through his body. But then, it was just the start.

* * *

><p>"<em>Where's mother?"<em>

"_I'm afraid she has passed on, Madara."_

Dark eyes snapped open. The chilled air surrounding him felt almost suffocating. Looking through the single, large window pane, he saw the sun high in the blue, cloudy sky; he knew then it was mid-afternoon. He wasn't sure when he had fallen asleep.

"_This is Haruki, Madara. We're to be married."_

"_I hate her."_

His eye's narrowed into a harsh glare, noticing that the small boy who occupied the living space with him, was gone. He stood from his seat, taking a few steps forward. His eyes travelled over the sparse furnishing's, looking for the young child. The bed in the corner of the room was empty,the man even peered down to look underneath. Empty space. The small kitchen area held no clue as to the boy's whereabouts, neither did the living space where he stood. He was nowhere to be seen.

The man's glare deepened further. He didn't like feeling out of control. And that is exactly what the situation called for. _Control. _"Koichi?" he called quietly, his voice not having been used in a while. There was no reply, save for the whistling of the winds and chimes outside. He knew that the only door in his personal living quarters that lead outside was locked. He'd locked it after bringing the boy there yesterday evening. He was still human, after all, and this child was his great-grandson. He didn't want him wandering outside and getting hurt. This area was wilderness, rife with wild animals.

"Koichi?" he called again. When he yet again receive no reply, he growled in frustration. The boy had to be difficult. There was only once place they boy could have gone. Downstairs. The ground floor was where he kept... _her. _Whoever 'her' happened to be each time.

"If you want to be difficult, Koichi, then difficult it will be."

The old man walked forward, grabbing the doorknob and pulled it open. Steep steps faced him, but he had walked them so many times, his seventy-eight year old legs no longer felt fatigued from climbing them. He started his descent, listening carefully for the sounds of the young boy breathing. But nothing was heard. Wherever the boy was hiding, he was good at concealing himself.

Minutes later, he stepped onto the ground floor. A few steps to his left and he was at another door. Her door. For the first time, he closed his eyes and sighed. He didn't know why. The man was tired and he was old.

He unlocked the door, stepping swiftly inside. His eyes widened slightly when he saw the young woman slumped on the ground. His eyes travelled over the small pool of blood underneath her. The knife he had previously held in his hand was lowered. The sight of the pink-haired angel before him made him exhale slowly. He had tried extremely hard, had been trying since he first took her from the airport, but he just could not find enough hatred inside of himself for her. With the other women, it was instinctual.

The sound of voices shook him slightly. He drew in a sharp breath, gliding effortlessly towards the window. He growled in vexation, eyes narrowing when he surveyed his property. Police officers swarmed the overgrown garden. An ambulance also parked itself close to the building and he was certain he saw a helicopter in the distance. _They had been quiet. _

"Mom?" a small voice called. He turned sharply to see Koichi standing in the doorway, his eyes full of fright as he stared at his mother. For the first time, the man's heart began to beat furiously. He ran forward, scooping the boy up in his arms. He fled the room, running back up the steps with the young boy in his grasp. He hadn't bother to close, or lock the door behind him.

* * *

><p>Sasuke watched with bated breath as the agents swarmed the property. Large hedges blocked access to the back of the house, but peering through the shrubbery and intertwined barbed wire, he could see trees. Many trees. It was almost like there was an entire forest growing back there. Shisui had decided not to bother surrounding the house. Instead, he intended to storm the house and, consequently, be granted access to the back garden. It seemed a worthy plan as no one wanted to wait around long. Everyone was on edge, knowing that potentially they were making a final stand in this inferno of an investigation.<p>

So far they had been impossibly quiet. Shisui was adamant that the element of surprise was crucial to the operation, and so all sirens were turned off and the overhead helicopter was told to stay away until the last moment. He could only hope the occupants of the house were still oblivious to the audience gathered outside their home.

Sasuke raised his weapon and took a few steps closer, as the two agents with the breaching tool lined themselves up outside the front door. The took aim, their gaze trained on Shisui, awaiting the captain's order.

Sasuke's heart sped up, he felt his blood rush through his ears. It felt like an age before he finally heard Shisui's voice.

"Now."

Within seconds, the door was demolished. The breaching agents stood back and four agents, including Itachi and Shisui rushed inside. Sasuke entered with the next wave of agents that included Genma and Shizune. Entering the small home, they saw the four agents making their way up some _extremely steep _steps.

"Sasuke," he heard Genma call. He followed the older man to the only room on the bottom floor. He could sense Shizune following behind him as more agents streamed upstairs, barking orders. Sasuke stilled momentarily when Genma came to halt outside the door. The man had visibly blanched. Sasuke walked quicker, side-stepping the man to peer into the room. He wasn't sure what he been expecting, a horror, that was for sure. But when he saw Sakura lying in a pool of blood on the floor, his heart sank.

"Shit," he yelled rushing towards the unconscious female. He yelled her name frantically but he received no reaction.

"Get a paramedic in here," he heard Genma call finally from the doorway.

"Sakura," he shouted again, shaking the woman gently. She still refused to wake up and his heart began to beat faster. He could hear it beating in his ears and throat, a sensation the scared the hell out of him. They had no time to wait for that damned paramedic to get his ass inside. He reached down, pulling his sister-in-law towards him. One hand wrapped itself around her knees, whilst the other grasped her shoulder and pulled her into his chest. Sasuke stood, bringing Sakura with him and he bounded from the room.

Genma moved quickly from the doorway and Shizune gasped in horror when Sasuke emerged from the room with the pink-haired woman.

The paramedic had managed to park the ambulance right outside the door. He swiftly stepped forward, taking the woman from Sasuke's arms. "There's not time to wait around. She needs a doctor now," the younger Uchiha found himself saying, his voice cracking slightly.

The paramedic nodded briefly, still trying to shift the woman in his grasp more comfortably. "I can stop the bleeding here-"

"You don't understand," Sasuke yelled, cutting the older man off. He was trying his best to be heard over the siren's, helicopters and shouting police agents. "She's pregnant."

The eye's of the paramedic widened uncontrollably. He now understood the seriousness of the matter. "I'll take her to Tokyo General by helicopter." Sasuke found himself nodding quickly, watching the paramedic as he took off toward the, already grounded, helicopter nearby.

He was unaware of his brother's gaze burning into his back only a few, short steps away from the bottom of those steep stairs.

* * *

><p><strong>End of Chapter.<br>**

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><p>Wanted to clarify the whole 'KarinItachi' thing Sakura mentioned in a previous chapter. :P

Minor note: I'm not sure if the ever-dwindling amount of reviews mean people have lost interest or if they're just lazy. You'd understand my confusion when I receive twice the amount of 'favourites' and 'alerts' than reviews each week. :/

Anyway, thank you for takig the time to read. **  
><strong>


	11. The Hunt

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

* * *

><p><strong>Title:<strong> Synthesis

**Author:** Absolute. Tranquillity

**Pairings:** ItaSaku

**Genre: **Family/Crime

**Word count:** 7791

**Rating:** M

**Notes: **Messages at the end in case you don't want to listen to me! :P

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><p><strong>Synthesis<br>Chapter Eleven  
><strong>

* * *

><p>"Sasuke," he heard his brother's voice ringing out amidst the chaos and loud voices. The voice was even but had an undertone of questioning anger added. Slowly, Sasuke turned to face the man behind him. His only thought; "<em>had he heard me speaking to the paramedic?"<em>

Itachi's glare was focused entirely on his younger brother, making Sasuke swallow the lump building in his throat. He had promised Sakura that he would not inform Itachi of her pregnancy, yet now it seemed he had done so unknowingly. The lost and, somewhat hollow look in Itachi's eyes made Sasuke feel slightly uneasy. It seemed as if his brother was looking right through him, Sasuke even turned around, shamelessly, to see where his brother's gaze was focused, but found nothing. When he turned back, the older man's expression was impassive and hard once more.

"We found nothing upstairs," he spoke quickly, tearing his eyes from Sasuke's. "Issue orders to patrol every inch of the surrounding land. I also want that fencing pulled down to allow more officers out back."

"Hai," Genma shouted from beside Sasuke, already heading toward the exit.

"Go with him, Sasuke. Wait for orders before proceeding into the woods behind the property." Itachi took a few ragged breaths, his eyes still not yielding any information. "We do not know what we will find."

The younger of the two Uchiha's nodded swiftly, turning and heading through the entranceway. It was no time to be thinking of broken promises to Sakura and the unfolding of kept secrets. Koichi was still missing. There was still work to be done.

* * *

><p>It was already getting dark. The sky was squeezing what last, precious rays of golden sunlight it could, as the sun dipped behind the horizon. The cool September air made Itachi feel slightly chilled as he took the stairs two at a time. He couldn't recall seeing any form of heating in the tiny, wooden home. Upstairs, there was an open fireplace, but the cobwebs covering the hearth told him it hadn't been used in quite some time. The pile of blankets at the end of the single bed was probably how the occupant kept warm during the colder months of the year.<p>

Arriving in the upstairs apartment, he quickly found the many armed officers had already broken down the door leading to the outside world. And it truly was an other world. From the front, the property looked like an ordinary, secluded cabin. Home to an outdoorsy couple, who probably liked to hike and hunt. However, walking out onto the decking, Itachi visibly tensed at the mass of desultory trees splattered on the land. The portent sound of raven's squawking overhead made a sickening feeling rise in his stomach. His son was somewhere in this ominous place with a serial-murderer.

"Captain Uchiha," his eyes left the high tree-tops to focus on the officer in front of him. He had seen Neji climb the wooden stairs as soon as he exited the cabin. "Sir, Shisui-San is waiting at the bottom of the steps. He wants to see you before he enters those woods." Itachi nodded swiftly at the Hyuuga, before stepping aside and descending the wooden steps. He sensed the younger man follow him, and both walked through the slight haze of mist that emanated from the deep forested area close by.

When they reached the clearing, Itachi could hear officer's whispering as they armed themselves with weapons and flash-lights. Darkness would start setting in soon, Itachi just hoped they found their target before nightfall, when their search _would be _called off. Walking towards his older cousin, he could see Shizune whispering something to him, her eyes wide and almost frightened. She pulled away when she saw him standing close by. Shisui gave Itachi a quick nod, handing him a flash-light. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," he quipped swiftly. He surmised that Shizune has been informing the other Captain Uchiha of the victim found minutes earlier. _Sakura. _From the desolate look in her eyes as she watched him, Itachi could only assume she was pitying him. He turned from his fellow officers to look into the thick forest only metres ahead of them. He refused to meet their gazes. His only objective was to find Koichi and Madara before darkness fell. Then, an only then, would he allow himself to think about Sakura and the words that had left Sasuke's mouth inside the cabin.

"Move out," he called evenly.

The soft glow of twilight would have been almost serene if Itachi didn't feel so tense. The further into those woods they trekked, the darker it became and the more his chest constricted painfully. Kami,he would've given anything to see that young boy he loved so much again. With even the smallest of stimuli, whether it be leaves blowing in the breeze or birds fleeing from their perches on the -_much_ _too tall- _pine trees, Itachi swore he saw that familiar shock of black hair or those glowing green eyes. Eyes that looked too much like his mother's for Itachi's liking. He quickened his pace, wanting only to find his son. _Soon._ Longing only to hear the adorable laughter and still imperfect speech of the child.

Behind him, he heard twigs snapping. Glancing back he saw Shikamaru and Genma conversing lightly with guns at the ready and flashlights trained in front of them. "This land is practically wilderness, stretching on for miles," he heard Shikamaru's bored tone. The younger man was trying to whisper, probably for Itachi's benefit, but he could still be heard. Itachi suppressed the anger rising in his gut, peering directly ahead of him. He almost believed he had seen a flash of metal in the distance, but then, the mix of too many flashlights and tense desperation didn't make for a stable mindset.

They had ventured much deeper into that wood that he hoped he would have too. The tall trees now surrounded them on all sides, no light being let through the wall of thick branches. It was only moments before Itachi, too, had to flick the switch on his torchlight. The butter-like yellow glow of the light illuminated the ancient trees surrounding him. The twisted branches and ghoulish patterns on the imposing ancient life-forms made his hands start to sweat, despite the cold and mist setting in. This was certainly, no place for a four-year old.

He veered slightly to his right, hoping to spread out their searchable area. He sensed someone following him, but hearing the heavy-breathing he knew it was only Shisui. The man smoked too much, something Sakura always reproached him for. He was trying his best to keep his mind focused, but the pink-haired beauty kept creeping into his mind. He wasn't ashamed to admit he was terrified for her condition, as well as that of her child.

The raw, cacophonous sound of raven's squawking overhead caught his attention, dragging his gaze over his shoulder. What he saw made his heart speed up and sent a small chill down his spine. He listened to his blood pump in his ears for a small moment, not believing the sight in front of him. It was him. Madara. _The Uchiha Madara _was walking, not fifty metres ahead of him, _hand-in-hand_ with his young son. Itachi recognised the red anorak the little boy wore. His mother made him adorn it everywhere he went. He didn't even realise his feet had started to carry him towards the two, slowly disappearing figures, until he heard Shisui calling him. The older man soon realised what was happening however, as Itachi heard the rustling of leaves behind him.

He picked up his pace, sprinting. He was correct earlier when he believed he had seen a flash of metal. In Madara's free hand that same glint emanated once more. His heart continued to beat harshly and he kept his eyes trained on the weapon in the old man's hand.

Within seconds, he had cut the distance between them in half. But of course, it wasn't long before the elder Uchiha sensed his presence and took a backwards glance in Itachi's direction. He was finally staring at the man he had been searching for. After all these years, the reprehensible Uchiha Madara was finally within range. The fact that the man had a hostage, his own great-grandson no less, was the only vindication Itachi had for not drawing his gun on the elder. He decided instead to attain Koichi's attentions.

"Koichi," he called calmly, not wanting to alarm the young child.

It took a moment, but the boy turned his head slowly to peer over his shoulder. His expression was one of quiet confusion. Itachi swallowed the lump building in his throat when he saw the small expression.

However, as much as he wanted to keep an eye on Koichi, his sole attentions were focused on the handgun Madara had aimed at him from beside his hip. His face remained impassive as Itachi continued to close the distance between them. "Release him, Madara."

The old man had turned to fully face his _grandson. _Koichi looked utterly terrified as he looked back and forth between his father and the man who was gripping his tiny hand.

Itachi couldn't help feeling tense as Madara's dark eyes bore into his own. The old man had yet to say a word, but the gun he had trained on Itachi said more than enough. _Where was he going with a weapon and the young child? What if they hadn't of made it to the property? _He dispelled those thoughts from his head. He was never one to worry about trivial thing's like 'what-if's' and this situation would not change that. Koichi was going to be fine, he would make sure of it.

Looking closer, he found that the old man's gaze was not, in fact, directed entirely upon him, but on the firearm in his grip. Slowly, so as not to alarm the killer, Itachi crouched down to place the weapon on the bed of leaves that made up the forest floor. He kept his focus on Madara as he returned to his standing position. "And the other," he finally bit out, his voice rough and deep. Itachi's brow furrowed in confusion for a small moment before he recalled Shisui following him when he veered from the prescribed track they had been given before entering the woods.

"Shisui," he called calmly, still staring the old man down. "Lower your weapon." He heard a soft '_thud_' moments later, followed by a sigh emitted by the old man.

Itachi had not planned to disarm himself during the stand-off. Far from it, actually. His entire being screamed that he was making an extremely high-risk decision. He had originally joined the TMPD as a negotiator almost ten years ago, but quickly rose through the ranks, thanks to natural-ability and an almost genius-level IQ. It was no surprise that he was promoted at every opportunity, until he reached the position he currently occupied; Captain. He was tasked and trusted with even the most prominent and secretive of investigations; like the Orochimaru investigation eight years ago. However, his experience in both fields were conflicting.

His talents as a negotiator encouraged his decision, deciding that Madara would be more willing to co-operate without weapon's aimed at his head. But then, on the other side of the spectrum, being in the field for the past eight years and having reviewed Madara's history, he felt the need to protect both himself and those around him. And this man was dangerous. A psychopath, even.

However, all of those theories failed in comparison to the strongest inclination on his mind. Paternal instinct. Itachi was extremely good at his job, the best, even. He compartmentalised well even through the toughest of cases. But seeing his only child paralysed with fear as he viewed the stand-off made Itachi's heart tighten and contort painfully in his chest.

"Please," he tried once more. "Let go of my son."

The next minute was possibly the most intense space of time in his lifetime. Everything, space, time and breathing seemed to proceed in slow-motion as he continued to clash with the serial-killer in front of him. Their eyes were so alike yet so different. Itachi saw nothing in those cold, black eyes worth saving. The raven's continued to cry overhead, the grievous sound bleeding through the trees into the intensely quiet scene. Save for those birds, the only other sound Itachi could hear was his thumping in his chest, the blood rushing through his ears and head. He was terrified for the small child ahead of him.

And then it happened. Madara bent down, to whisper something to the young child. Koichi looked at him blankly for a moment before the old man pushed him gently towards his father. Slowly, Itachi realised the breath he didn't know he had been holding. The young child stumbled at first but quickly picked up his pace to run to his father. The space between had been lessened considerably, thanks to Itachi's advancement earlier, so it was only six or seven metres until Koichi was reunited with his father.

But Itachi didn't dare allow himself to feel relief around the man in front of him. As son as the young boy was close enough, Itachi grasped his shoulder, pushing him behind him for protection. He could feel the boy shaking in fear as he grasped the jeans his father wore tightly, his small head poking out from beside his father's leg to look at his abductor.

Itachi swallowed the new lump that had formed in his oesophagus, his senses and experience kicking back in. He had his son back, but now, both he and Shisui were weapon-less. The still, quiet air alerted him to the fact that none of his fellow officers were around to witness the exchange. They were alone. His only hope was to believe this man had some shred of humanity left in him to appeal to.

"Uchiha Madara-"

"I'm sorry," he announced then, effectively cutting Itachi off. His gaze flitted between Itachi and Shisui, making both men feel slightly more on edge than they currently were. His gun was raised and Itachi found his eyes no longer looked hard and cold. They were calm, jaded even. His whole person seemed tired now. As if he were indifferent to the entire situation he had found himself in. "I'm sorry. But I won't end up in one of your prisons."

At the sound of the gun cocking, Itachi turned and draped himself over Koichi, to protect the young child from the impending gunshot.

* * *

><p>Two shots were fired, actually. Both by the same gun. However, it was wasn't Madara who fired the weapon. It was Sasuke. The younger Uchiha had stumbled upon the scene after losing track of his older brother. He had told Itachi later, that he knew his brother would be conflicted; so he followed him. It took him a good ten minutes to find the unfolding scene, but he managed it. He stuck to the tree trunks for cover as he advanced throughout the exchange. And just in the nick of time. Shisui had ducked for cover and Itachi had knelt to protect Koichi from a potentially fatal shot at such close range. Before Madara could raise his gun further, Sasuke jumped from his previous undetectable hiding spot to fire two bullets. Both hit their target.<p>

The four Uchiha's watched as their relation relinquished his hold on the gun, dropping it onto the forest floor, before he too, fell. Sasuke's shots had hit him in the neck and chest, killing the old man instantly.

The next few hours past in a haze. The trek into the woods had been suspended and every agent was accounted for. Itachi choose not to stick around for the coroner to investigate the body. He didn't need to know anything more about the man lying on the cold ground of wilderness territory.

Paramedic's back at the cabin had examined Koichi and found his temperature a little lower than hoped for, but otherwise in perfect health. He remained quiet in his uncle Sasuke's arms afterwards, only speaking to ask where his mother was and why she was lying lifeless and bloodied earlier in the day. It hurt to see his child so fragile. He promised his son then, to take him to his mother.

That was how Itachi found himself in his current position, sitting in a pristine waiting-room in Tokyo General. The journey had taken almost two hours. Two hours of utter silence as Koichi cuddled into his chest, sniffling lightly. Shisui had promised to wrap up the investigation at the cabin whilst Itachi took Koichi back to the city.

Sasuke insisted ongoing with him, not entirely believing that Itachi would be able to cope on his own. Normally, his brother was the stronger one. But after seeing his wife unconscious and covered in blood, rescuing his son from a serial-killer that was his grandfather, as well as finding out he was going to be a father again, Sasuke figured the man might need some semblance on support.

He watched his brother talking with Koichi lightly. The boy answered his questions easily, telling his father about the airport and the things the man had talked about during his brief stay.

One answer in particular stuck in his mind. _He said, "I'm sorry."_

* * *

><p>"He said he was your grandfather," the young boy said suddenly, after a few moments of silence. "Why were you fighting then?" His innocent eyes were narrowed in confusion.<p>

Itachi took a deep breath through his nose. He didn't know how he was to explain the situation to his four-year old son. He didn't want to further baffle the young boy, but a rose-tinted perspective would accomplish nothing for him in the long-term. "He was a wicked man, Koichi. He did bad things to innocent people."

"Like mom?"

Itachi nodded once, seeing the confusion start to dissipate from the child's face.

"Okay," he chirped, turning back around on his seat. It seemed he was feeling better already.

Soon after, the boy decided to announce his need of a bathroom. He disappeared out the door after telling his father he didn't require assistance as he had been there many times before with his mother. While Itachi was apprehensive about letting the boy out of his sight once again, the bathroom was only across the hall. He had a direct view of the bathroom door through the glass wall of the waiting room, allowing him to see just who entered and exited the facility. Besides, he needed to speak to Sasuke about his earlier revelation. It had been vexing him since he had first heard the word 'pregnant' fall from Sasuke's lips. It was only now that he let the true weight of the words crash down on him.

"Sasuke," he called gently, waking the man from his half-asleep state.

"Yeah?"

He took a deep breath, deciding on the best way to proceed. "You told the paramedic that Sakura was pregnant."

He wasn't looking at Sasuke, his gaze being directed on the bathroom door, but from the gasp Sasuke emitted, Itachi surmised that he wasn't supposed to know. It only further cemented the fact that Sakura, obviously,_ didn't want him to know. _It stung. They had been apart for almost three months now. Sakura had not yet begun to show signs of her pregnancy, and he knew she had seen at least one man romantically since their split. These facts only helped to reinforce his notion, that he was not the father of Sakura's child. He felt his body tense involuntarily.

His younger brother remained silent, so Itachi continued. "Who is the child's father?"

"What?" Sasuke stammered loudly, only seconds later. "You are, of course."

Itachi nodded carefully, still not meeting Sasuke's gaze. Anger radiated from his younger brother, and rightly so. He supposed it was a sensitive question to ask. Sakura wasn't the type to accidentally fall pregnant. He was glad, that Sasuke had named him the father. He had hoped that the baby was his even in the moments of doubt. A small smile played on his thin lips at the prospect of becoming a father once more. If the child was anything like Koichi, he would thank himself lucky. The child was incredibly intelligent and every bit as caring as his mother. His pride in the boy was overwhelming at times.

"She's three months pregnant," Sasuke said finally, disturbing Itachi's thought procession. _Three months, _he thought to himself. In his head he analysed the dates to find they fit perfectly with the last time he and Sakura had sex. And it wasn't something he was exactly proud of. In fact, it was an evening he would most like to forget. _His birthday._ Kami, he had treated her like a piece of meat that night. It was a far different experience to any previous love-making session they had encountered together. Not that you could call it that, mind. It was sex. Plain and simple. He had fucked her that night, obviously uncaring as to the fact that she was his wife, his lover, his partner, his friend, and not some whore he could just have his way with. No, that night she was simply the object to vent his frustration on and ease the pent up tension that had accumulated between them in previous months. To say he was ashamed of himself was putting it lightly.

And now he had learned that he had unknowingly planted a child in her uterus that night. It wasn't anyone's fault but his, and he took full responsibility. Sakura deserved his apologies and he would make sure she got them.

"Itachi?" a voice called from the open doorway. He looked up to find a tall, blonde woman staring at him from behind a clipboard.

"Tsunade," he whispered easily, standing from his seat. His heart had slowed as he knew the woman would bear news of Sakura's condition. She was her aunt, after all.

"She's stable. Unfortunately the trauma of her abduction was enough to cause some of the uterine lining to shed. We've managed to stop this bleeding and I've put her on a blood machine to eject the last of the temazepam from her system." She took a deep breath. Itachi could only assume she was giving him the goods news first. "However, if she remains unconscious for too long, there could be severe damage done to the baby."

Itachi's eyes closed for a small moment. She had indeed given him the good news first. Just when he had found himself excited for the arrival of a new child, he was dealt a cruel blow like this. He was never a praying man, but that could soon change.

"I just wanted to prepare you," she whispered, resting a hand on his shoulder.

"Thank you," he replied, his eyes settling on the young boy walking across the hallway with a small smile on his face. "Can I see her?"

* * *

><p>"<em>The Superintendent General this morning, confirmed the identity of 'The Anesthetist Killer' as Uchiha Madara. The man is said to have been shot by police at his home in the late hours of last night after resisting arrest. Details are still emerging."<em>

Itachi turned off the television, not wanting to listen to the gossip of the media. He left the living room still dressed in his night-clothes when he heard Koichi calling him from the kitchen. He glanced at the clock before he left and found that they had slept in later than usual. It was customary that he and Koichi would sleep for an extra hour of a Sunday morning, but they were usually up and dressed before nine am. It was now nearing noon. He knew the previous days events had tired them out and so, was not too displeased at his apparent laziness. He had taken Koichi with him after he left the hospital, heading straight for home. He hadn't even bothered to call Shisui. The weight of his ever mounting worries had finally started to settle on his shoulders and all he wanted was sleep. Koichi had obviously been feeling the same. The young boy was already asleep in the car when they arrived home. Itachi just had enough energy left to dress both of them in their night clothes before his energy was spent and both Uchiha's fell deeply asleep in the master-bedroom.

Chuckling lightly as he stood in the doorway, he watched Koichi try his best to reach the cereal inside the high cupboard. Even standing on a kitchen chair, his little limb's couldn't stretch to the back of the shelf. He knew now why the boy had summoned him. He walked over quietly, ignoring the boys grunts as he tried to make his arms reach the illusive cereal box. He grabbed the small box of flakes in one hand and the protesting boy in the other, setting them both down on the kitchen table. Koichi giggled softly when his father ruffled his hair while pouring the cereal. "Can we see mom today?"

"I don't know, son," he answered truthfully.

Koichi nodded slowly, his smile disappearing. He took a spoon and delved into the bowl of flakes swimming in milk. Itachi honestly didn't know when – or even if- Sakura would wake up, he didn't see the point in raising his son's hopes. He gave a gentle poke on Koichi's forehead before retreating to pour himself a cup of coffee.

A few minutes of crunching later, Itachi heard his phone vibrating on the counter beside him. "Uchiha Itachi," he rattled off the usual greeting after pressing the phone to his ear.

"..."

"That is welcome news."

"..."

"Yes, do so."

"..."

"Thank you, Tsunade."

Itachi disconnected his call and placed the cellphone back on the counter. "It seems as though you can see your mother today, after-all," he called softly, sipping from his coffee cup. Koichi small head snapped in his direction, a smile playing on his lips. "Tsunade says mom is asking for you."

The young boy flashed him a grin before turning his focus back to the cereal in front of him.

Itachi returned the smile, Tsunade's pleasing words running through his head.

"_The baby has been monitored and is doing fine."_

* * *

><p>Itachi found himself inhaling deeply outside the door to Sakura's room. He wasn't sure how he would feel when he saw her after all he had put her through. But honestly, what was troubling him more was a task that had been given him only minutes earlier.<p>

"_You have to tell her, Itachi."_

Tsunade cornering him when he entered Tokyo General was not on his agenda. Informing Sakura of her father's passing was even further down his list of things he wanted to accomplish today. He seemed to be the constant agent of her anguish in recent months, didn't he? He tightened his grasp on the door-handle and pulled it down, still unsure as to how he would face the pink-haired woman inside.

Koichi managed to barge in ahead of him, breaking the tension and silence of the room easily. He followed his son's path until his eyes met hers. She looked a little paler than usual and much too thin for a pregnant woman. But she still wore that sunny disposition, especially when Koichi leaped onto the hospital bed to sit beside her. Her pink hair hung in small waves around her shoulders, almost completely covering the hospital gown she wore. Her smile ignited the room when Koichi started to ramble beside her. Her eyes never left the young boy beside her. He was her world, and Itachi knew it. He knew also, that he had never thought her more beautiful, sitting beside their first son and pregnant with their second. It seemed to wrong to interrupt the loving scene before with him with such grievous news. And so, he didn't.

As he took the few steps backwards to the entrance, he heard Koichi mention him a total of four times.

"_Dad saved the day!"_

"_He rescued me."_

"_Dad got the bad guy, again!"_

"_Dad's just like a superhero, isn't he?"_

His son was wrong. He could have protected them better. He could have done more for his marriage,_ for Sakura. _He certainly should have done more for his children. And he was obligated to tell Sakura there and then of her father's death. Koichi was wrong. He wasn't a superhero. He was a coward.

* * *

><p><em>Two Days Later...<em>

Sakura looked up from her magazine when she heard the squeak of the hardwood hospital door. It was completely forgotten when she saw her brother-in-law entering the room. "Sasuke," she chirped, dropping the magazine to her lap and sitting up more comfortably. Ino had brought her in some of her own pyjama's a couple of days earlier, and so Sakura felt much better and more herself, even if her doctor refused to believe it. She was quite ready to go home.

"How are you feeling today?" he asked quietly, sitting in the chair beside her bed.

"Good," she smiled, before adding quickly, "Just anxious to get home." Beside her, Sasuke laughed lightly before they feel into an easy silence.

"Has Koichi been in today?" he asked a few minutes later, noticing a few discarded crayon's on the bedside locker.

"Yeah," she smiled, and nodded carefully. "Mikoto picked him up for lunch."

"How is he? I haven't seen him since..." Sakura noticed that he trailed off, and looked rather tense. As if he had said something he shouldn't have. She knew what he meant, but he needn't have tried to shield her. She was there, she had gone through the ordeal. Instead of going through meaningless conversation and dragging it all back up, Sakura smiled softly at him. They needed to start moving forward.

"He's great," she offered in a small voice. "Resilient."

"And Itachi?" the young man asked, almost apprehensively. "I haven't seen him in a few days."

For the first time during the exchange her eyes left his. She stared down, training her eyes on the magazine she had forgotten earlier. She felt a small sting in her chest and took a deep breath. "I don't know," she said weakly. "I haven't seen him neither."

Through her peripheral vision, she saw Sasuke lean forward and quirk an eyebrow at her. "He brings Koichi here everyday, but he doesn't stay."

She heard the man beside her exhale slowly, but kept her eyes on the paper in her lap. "Sakura, I don't-..." he began, but trailed off. "He feels responsible for everything that happened."

"He shouldn't," she whispered. It was Itachi's fault his grandfather was a murderer. It wasn't his fault she hadn't informed him of her pregnancy earlier. And it certainly wasn't his fault that their marriage encountered problems. He should not have felt unwelcome around her. For the past three days, whenever Itachi dropped Koichi off to spend time with her, she would feel her heart sink when he left without saying a word to her. She had never felt so unwanted. It felt like he was glad to be away from her. She felt as if he hadn't meant any of the things he had said to her last week when they spent the night together.

"He heard me mention your pregnancy to a paramedic, I'm sorry."

Sakura laughed softly and waved him off. "He had to know sometime."

"You're not angry?" he asked, sounding too surprised for Sakura's liking.

She shook her head, still staring into her lap. "How did he take it?"

"Well," Sasuke began, pursing his lips as he thought. "Pretty good, actually. I'm sure I saw him crack a smile in the waiting room out there."

At that, Sakura snapped her head in his direction. A small, genuine smile broke out across her face as she eyed her brother-in-law carefully. "Really?"

Sasuke, in reply, nodded his head, making the young woman feel much better about her pregnancy. "Talk to him, Sakura." He rose from his seat to place a small kiss on her temple before walking to the exit.

She would talk to him. Whether he wanted it or not, they were going to sort this mess out. For their children's sake. But, she needed some comfort first, as well as advice. She knew just where she would find both. "Sasuke," she called quickly, before the man left the room. He turned to face her, eyes set on hers. "Can you do me a favour?"

"Anything," he called, walking back towards her.

"Can you call my father? I really need to see him."

Sakura watched as Sasuke turned a haunting shade of white. She narrowed her eyes as the man in front of her stared open-mouthed at her. Something was wrong.

"Sakura..." he whispered, before trailing off and walking towards her.

* * *

><p>Itachi looked behind him to find Koichi still engrossed in his book. He washed the last of the vegetables he had chopped before tossing them into the pan on the stove to simmer. "Koichi,"he called quickly, grabbing the boys attention. "You should go wash your hands; dinner is almost ready."<p>

He nodded his head, and without saying a word he stood from his seat and left the table; his nose still buried in the novel in his hands. Itachi smirked to himself at the sound of Koichi's heavy footsteps on the staircase. He missed hearing the boy running through the house.

A soft 'thud' on the back-door garnered his attentions. Grabbing a towel, he dried his hands as he walked to the door close by. His eyes shot open and his instinct was to each for his gun when he saw who was outside the house. But then, the handgun pointed directly at his forehead prevented him from making any rash movement.

"Itachi," the man snarled, a smirk evident even in the darkness of the night.

"Kabuto," he whispered, disbelieving eyes still transfixed on the other man.

Minutes later, Uchiha Itachi found himself seated on one of his dining chairs, Kabuto's eyes and gun trained on him. The man's smirk never left his face. Itachi felt sick, not to mention confused, just looking at the man in front of him. "Something wrong, Uchiha-San?"

"Why are you here?"

A small laugh escaped the white-haired man's lips. "It's a long story, Uchiha-San. I won't bore you with the details."

"I'd like to hear it," Itachi replied evenly. His negotiator persona kicked in, urging him to keep the man talking to try and find a solution to his predicament. Kabuto's smiled a sickening smile, keeping his gaze on Itachi as he walked towards the simmering vegetables. He looked apprehensive, from the way he studied the Uchiha. Picking up a half-cooked carrot from the pan, he bit into it. "You thought you killed me, didn't you?"

Itachi nodded and Kabuto smirked again, throwing the remainder of the carrot onto the counter. "You were wrong. My father – you know my father, Uchiha-San?"

"We're acquainted, yes."

"He has some very powerful friends. They patched me up very well, indeed."

Itachi resisted the urge to jump up and punch that damned smirk off of his face.

"Well, until I woke up from that seven-year long coma, that is. Rehabilitation wasn't much fun. It was agony, actually."

"Kabuto-"

"Don't interrupt me, Uchiha-San," Kabuto replied calmly, pointing the gun at Itachi's forehead once more. He didn't speak again for a few minutes. He simply continued to stare at Itachi. With every moment, his smirk lessened and an ugly, hateful frown took over his face.

"Everyday of that damned recovery I thought of nothing but putting a bullet in your head, right where your partner put a bullet in mine."

Itachi refused to submit to Kabuto. He continued to focus his entire attention on the man's eyes and not the .9 millimetre aimed at him. "If it's revenge for what _we _did to you-"

"This isn't revenge!" he screamed, finally breaking that ironclad cool of his. "This is about what is fair."

"Fair?" Itachi asked, his brow furrowing. Nothing about the entire past eight years was _fair._

"She was mine!" he screamed again, eyes contorting in rage. "And then you came along."

Itachi's brows knitted in confusion. The only 'she' he could connect to Kabuto was Sakura. But she was never _his. _"I'm unsure as to-"

"Don't play dumb, Uchiha," he spat, moving closer to Itachi. "Police officers should know better than to take something that isn't theirs to take."

"Sakura was not yours when I met her, Kabuto."

Itachi watched as the white-haired man stared into him. He was contemplating what next to say, Itachi could tell. He had to diffuse the situation, somehow. But he had nothing to use against Kabuto and his gun was in his office down the hall.

"I loved her," he spoke again, quietly this time. "It ripped through me when she told me our relationship was over."

"..."

"And then I see her with you," he said, pointing an accusatory finger at Itachi. "A police officer. _An Uchiha_," he spat. Itachi's eyes widened a fraction. Words Orochimaru has spoken were finally starting to make sense.

"_No, Itachi. I did not have him follow you."_

"_I was only made aware of your existence upon my return to Tokyo last week."_

"_You'll have to ask your wife about the...shadowing."_

"It was Sakura," Itachi finally whispered. His eye's widening slightly at the new information. "It was never me, you were following. It was Sakura." He had been such a fool. It made sense. It was all connected.

"You finally get it," Kabuto grinned, laughing gently again.

"You followed her to my apartment that night, eight years ago."

"And then you shot me, remember?" Kabuto smirked, cocking the gun in his grasp. "You know," he began evenly, trying to find the right words. "When I was in that clinic relearning how to walk, you were my motivation. You had taken everything from me."

"I took nothing from you!" Itachi shouted back.

"Liar," he whispered.

"If you love Sakura, why would you let your father harm her?" Itachi asked suddenly, trying to keep Kabuto talking.

"I didn't know of my father's plans until recently," his firearm lowered once more as he sat on a chair opposite Itachi. "But don't worry. He's been... taken care of."

Itachi's visibly tensed. If Kabuto was willing to 'take care' of his own father, he was capable of anything. "And how does Madara fit into all of this?"

"Uchiha scum. He was just some psychopath my father shanghaied into service."

"He tried to kill her," Itachi replied evenly, pursing his lips.

"I know. But I will apologise to Sakura... as soon as I get rid of you."

"And our son?" Itachi asked smirking. He knew it would irritate Kabuto to know the woman he loved had reproduced with another man. _Especially him. _"You don't want another man's child in that perfect picture of yours, do you?"

"No."

"But... how will Sakura feel if you harm her son?"

Kabuto's eye's narrowed. His mouth twitched a few times, obviously attempting to answer Itachi's last question.

From the corner of his eye, Itachi saw a small glinting object outside. His smirk rose considerably. Kabuto still looked anguished.

"Truthfully, Kabuto, I don't believe you ever had a chance with a woman like Sakura." Kabuto watched as Itachi spoke, his anger rising. "She's intelligent, kind, witty, not to mention beautiful. What would she want with a college drop-out, who is still reliant on his father?"

Kabuto growled angrily, closing the small distance between them. With the butt of his gun, he whacked Itachi's cheek. The Uchiha swore he heard a crack, but it could just have been his visitor's outside.

Kabuto was still panting in frustration when Itachi turned his head to look at him. "Women get bored very easily, Kabuto. You may have been fun for her in college, but women evolve. Maybe you just weren't up to scratch."

_Smack._

The gun collided with Itachi's face once more. But this time, his lip burst and all Itachi could taste was the metallic, salty taste of blood filling his mouth. His smirk rose again. He was going to play his trump card.

"Sakura is pregnant," he said evenly, not able to help the cocky tone bleeding into his words. The grin spread further up his face as the younger man shook in anger. "Does it make your blood boil, to know that Sakura is having my children and has forgotten all about her college boyfriend?"

_Smash._

The collision of the gun on his jaw made Itachi's eyes sting. But it was worth it. Looking up he saw Kabuto was absolutely furious. The man radiated anger from where he stood only centimetres in front of him. Itachi couldn't help but grin, even through his blurred vision when he saw that same glint outside.

"Enough, Uchiha-San," Kabuto bit out, shaking his head. He raised his gun and was about to take aim when-

"Drop the weapon, Yakushi."

Kabuto tensed visibly, his grasp lessening on the firearm in his hand. Itachi watched as Kabuto's eyes focused on his own. His smirk widened when the young man realised what was going on. They both turned slightly to see Shisui and Kisame standing in the kitchen entranceway.

"I told you to put down the weapon," Shisui called again, his own gun still trained at Kabuto.

Itachi looked through the window to see more officers and police cars outside. _Koichi, _he smirked to himself.

* * *

><p>The night air chilled the open flesh on Itachi's face. Shisui had insisted he see a medic for his wounds and not try deal with them himself, in typical Itachi fashion. The ambulance waited outside as forensics collected the evidence from Itachi's kitchen. The officers around the property gave him brief nods or greetings as he crossed the short distance to the awaiting ambulance.<p>

Then, he felt a small tug on his leg. He looked around to see Koichi had latched himself onto his jeans. He was grinning madly up at him, his few teeth on show. "I called uncle Shisui for you, dad. Did I help?"

Itachi chuckled lightly, ruffling the boys hair before pulling him into his arms. "You did a great job," he whispered as the boy snuggled into his chest. Koichi smirked, full of pride with his actions as the two walked towards the awaiting medic.

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><p><strong>End of Chapter.<br>**

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><p>One- Extremely sorry for the late update. College has started once more and life is hectic.<br>Two- Only one more chapter to go! If you want me to mention anything specifically in the next chapter, leave it in your review.:D  
>Three- Please vote in the poll on my page. It will close shortly, as I want to announce the verdict with the close of <em>Synthesis. <em>

As always, thank you for your time and patience. I love each and every reviewer, so please leave your thoughts.

See you, _very, _soon. ;)


	12. The End

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

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><p><strong>Title:<strong> Synthesis

**Author:** Absolute. Tranquillity

**Pairings:** ItaSaku

**Genre: **Family/Crime

**Word count:** 6941

**Rating:** M

**Notes: **I hope the lack of responses doesn't mean you guys didn't like the last chapter.

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><p><strong>Synthesis<br>Chapter Twelve  
><strong>

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><p>Itachi watched the soft drops of rain beat down outside. Drizzling down the window pains as Ibiki spoke from the top of the room, they looked almost crystalline. He listened intently as the older man drew their case to a close. Several reporters scattered themselves at the back of the room, writing furiously on notepads as the Superintendent-General spoke. His voice was clear for once; soft and not harsh or irate. It was expected, as the ghosts that had haunted him for the past thirty years were finally exorcised. He had told Itachi of this relief, almost two weeks ago when Madara was killed.<p>

But personality change or no, Itachi could not commend Ibiki's actions throughout the case and such, had filed a complaint with the Commissioner General. He had informed Ibiki last week of his plans and as such, the man -although displeased- did not deny he deserved to be reprimanded for his brash actions.

One reporter gasped quietly, and Itachi looked up to see a photograph of Uchiha Madara projected onto the screen behind Ibiki. "I'm glad to finally release details this morning, of our investigation regarding 'The anesthetist killer'. In the late hours of Saturday evening, on September 24th, Uchiha Madara was shot twice by a police officer after resisting arrest. He had earlier been identified by our excellent team of officers, as the murderer who drugged, stabbed ad murdered almost one hundred young woman, over the course of the past thirty-eight years."

"Superintendent-General," a reporter shouted from the back. "Why was he killed and not arrested?"

Ibiki took a deep breath, before continuing. "No other course of action was considered as Uchiha Madara was holding the child of a victim hostage."

"He let Uchiha Itachi's child go before he was killed, did he not?" that same voice shouted again. Itachi visibly tensed at the accusatory tone in the man's voice. He knew what the man was trying to say. He was trying to make the department look like a mob of thugs.

"I don't know who your source is, Mr. Takahiro, but those details should not have been leaked," Ibiki boomed to the man, his eyes narrowing. "Nonetheless, the child was released. Uchiha Madara then resisted arrest by threatening two agent's with a gun. If it weren't for Officer Uchiha stepping in, there could have been more fatalities at the scene."

"Will the actions of Officer Uchiha be investigated?" he shouted quickly. Itachi tensed, his mouth forming a harsh line as he turned in his seat to view the offender. This short, blonde man -by the looks of it, American- was criticising the heroic actions of Sasuke?

"Officer Uchiha has already been interviewed by a jury and his actions were found to be justifiable," Ibiki shouted, obviously annoyed by the man's interrogation.

Itachi relaxed when he heard the reporter sit back down, his chair squeaking slightly as he did so. "Further details regarding Uchiha Madara will not be released as more information is still emerging." He wasn't lying. Ibiki had assigned a couple of agents to an operation to investigate the cabin Madara owned. They were piecing together his entire life history, bit by bit. He understood completely when Itachi and Shisui declined the opportunity to be part of the small group.

"I would also like to confirm speculation that Orochimaru has died. The man was suffocated in his hospital bed where he was recuperating after his arrest. The man responsible was Yakushi Kabuto, who has been arrested for the murder of the man. He has also been charged with the attempted murder of another police officer in my department."

"Superintendent General-Sama," a young woman with a notepad called. "How was Uchiha Madara identified? For years, no one was able figure the identity of 'The Anaesthetist Killer'?"

"New evidence recently came to light, thanks to the work of the previous Superintendent General, Uchiha Fugaku. Unfortunately, Mr. Uchiha died before he was able to act on his life's work. I think we all owe thanks to that man and will be eternally grateful."

"Superintendent General," the blonde man from earlier called again. "Is it true that you have leaks in your department and several agents were moved to witness protection for their safety?"

"Again, Mr. Takahiro, your sources are questionable, but that is true. The leak has been plugged however and the culprit, Kusaka Karin has been arrested. My agents have all since returned to active duty."

"Superintendent General-Sama, I believe-"

"No more questions, please. I have said everything that need be said. I would like to conclude this conference by expressing my deepest sympathies to the families affected. I hope we have brought closure and peace of mind to all those hurt in these past years."

"Superintendent, will a report be published publicly?"

"No more questions," he called again. "Now, I would also like to announce my retirement from the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department. The Commissioner will announce my replacement as Superintendent General in the coming weeks."

A sea of hands shot into the air as reporter after reporter shouted questions, directed at the man in front of them. Ibiki mumbled a 'thank you' before disappearing from the podium and out a side-door. Itachi clicked his tongue and shook his head gently. Just like Ibiki to retire before he could be removed from office. Jumping before he was pushed. It was smart, and would certainly help him save face in the public eye. Itachi looked at his watch quickly, realising the press conference had gone on for longer than anticipated. It was nearing ten am and if he didn't leave soon, he would be late. Standing from his front-row seat, he followed Ibiki and the stream of officer's that left the side-door.

* * *

><p>It was slightly windy that morning when he entered the small cemetery, the rain had stopped some moments ago, but the clouds threatened more. It was only October but the chill in the air signalled the incoming winter. Only a few people stood inside the private burial ground; Haruno Kenchi had spent most of his life in Yokohama, so anyone present was there for Sakura's benefit and not necessarily to mourn the loss of the man. She had insisted his ashes be scattered in a grave close to her. Most likely, so she could visit him whenever she pleased, without having to travel to her hometown of Yokohama.<p>

Itachi walked further into the grounds, spotting only a dozen guests seated on white chairs in front a tombstone. He spotted Sakura soon after, she was standing close to a carved-stone talking with her cousin, Naruto. She looked just as fragile as she did when he last saw her, almost two weeks ago in her hospital gown. She wore a lose-fitting black dress that hung just above her knees. It never used to be so loose on the young-woman, making Itachi feel pained.

As he was the only one standing, a few feet behind everyone else, Sakura soon sensed his presence and turned. Her eyes were dull and her lips set in a thin line. He watched her for a moment, his eyes locked on hers. He found himself wanting nothing more than to reach out to her. But she obviously didn't feel the same. Seconds later, her eyes left his and she turned back to Naruto, who was still talking quietly to her. A minister appeared shortly after, whispering a few words to Sakura and shaking her hand. She moved to her seat, followed by Naruto. The service was about to start. Itachi followed his estranged wife with his eyes to see his son sitting close by. His grandmother sat beside him, her arm wrapped around his shoulders for support.

Itachi cleared his throat as quietly as possible, a lump had started to form. He took a seat at the back, the only one in the row. In front of him sat Ino and Shikamaru, both gave him a nod and Ino offered a small smile before they turned back in their seats to the ceremony.

* * *

><p>Sasuke watched carefully as his brother took a seat behind everyone else. Rightfully, it should have been him up there comforting Sakura, and not Naruto. Itachi was too chivalrous at times and Sakura was just stubborn. Both of them needed to be tied together until they realised they were nothing when they were apart. Sasuke just didn't understand those two. It may have been a quixotic idea, but most of their friends agreed, that Itachi and Sakura were made for each other.<p>

He looked to the front row of seats to see Koichi fidgeting in his seat. The young boy was looking around him as the minister spoke to the small group. He was looking for his father. Sasuke wasn't sure how to get the young boy's attentions without interrupting the service. But eventually, the young boy looked across to Sasuke, and he took advantage of his nephew's awareness. Sasuke rocked his head back, gesturing to his brother who sat a couple of rows behind him. Koichi followed his gesture and a small smile graced his lips when he spotted his father. Sasuke watched as Koichi jumped off his seat, whispering to Mikoto before he disappeared down the aisle to Itachi.

Itachi looked somewhat more lively when Koichi jumped up onto his lap, snuggling into his chest. Sasuke gave them a small smile, before turning back in his seat, content to watch the rest of the ceremony.

* * *

><p>Afterwards, everyone gathered to pay their respects to Sakura. Itachi noted how she looked distraught even through the fake smiles of gratefulness she gave to those around her. Koichi continued to hold onto his father, even after Itachi stood up and walked into the aisle to leave. He didn't notice Naruto standing close by until the man was right in front of him. He looked strangely unlike Naruto. His eyes were narrowed at Itachi and his expression screamed resentment. He had always been close to Sakura, although, it wasn't until Sakura moved to Tokyo to be with Itachi that they really became so attached to one another. Itachi wasn't surprised the man was in a temper over his treatment of his much-loved cousin. "Naruto-San," Itachi greeted quietly.<p>

Naruto continued to watch him, not giving much away with his expression. Koichi raised his head from his father's chest to smile at Naruto. The blonde man grinned back then. Breaking the impassive expression he wore earlier. "We're leaving soon," he said quietly, gesturing to a small group behind him. Itachi followed his gaze to see Sakura and Tsunade talking lightly, with Naruto's wife, Hinata close by. Naruto's two children, his son who was the same age as Koichi, and his toddler daughter were close to their mother, looking extremely bored. He resisted the temptation to smirk as he watched the young boy pulling grass from the ground and throwing it on top of Sasuke's shoes.

"Are you coming too, dad?" Koichi asked then, retaking is father's gaze. Itachi looked him over for a few moments, unsure wthether returning to Sakura's home was the right thing for him to do.

"You're more than welcome," Naruto said quietly. "We're all going back to Sakura's apartment for a while."

"I don't think it necessary to-"

"I'm sure she'd want you there," Naruto said suddenly, cutting the older man off. Itachi almost laughed. That was not his belief.

"Please, dad?" Koichi asked again, quieter this time, playing with a lock of his father's hair.

Itachi poked the young boy's forehead, nodding his acceptance. It was about time he had some closure with Sakura in regards to the past few weeks. But he had already made plans for after the funeral. "There is something I must do first, Koichi. I will join you shortly."

"I'll go with you," the young boy said quickly, barely letting his father finish.

"I'll see you both soon then," Naruto called gently, smiling before walking back to the small group behind him.

* * *

><p>That soft October wind did not ease as Itachi sat in front of a familiar name. In the background he could see Koichi playing with the branches of an old willow tree that seemed to grow haphazardly at the edge of the cemetery. The small smile he watched his son with did not fade, even when his eyes lowered to read the tombstone in front of where he sat.<p>

_Uchiha Fugaku_

His scanned over his father's name carved into the cold stone; much like Sakura had done earlier. He couldn't say he knew how the young-woman felt, he wasn't very close to his father. He respected him, felt a camaraderie with the man, but he never felt the familial connection they should have shared. Never felt that bond he shared with his own son.

He sighed audibly, unsure as to why he had went there in the first place. Closing his eyes, he recalled Sakura dragging him here years ago. It was the last time he was here.

One weekend, a year into their relationship, Itachi had introduced her to his mother. It was only on they way back to Itachi's apartment that evening, that she inquired as to his father's location. Her beautiful, glowing eyes widened a fraction when he told her of his father's death only a few years earlier. She all but insisted on stopping at the cemetery before they returned home.

"_You should talk to him," she encouraged, holding Itachi's hand in front of the polished rock._

"_That won't be necessary."_

"_I talk to my mother," she whispered, minutes later. "It helps, you know? When you're feeling down."_

He cracked his eyes open upon hearing Koichi grunting. The young boy was jumping in the air, trying to grab the tree branches as they swung wildly with the wind. His eyes trailed down to the tombstone once more. It held the same amount of seriousness and intimidation as his father had. Maybe Sakura was, indeed, correct.

I'm sorry," he whispered eventually. He knew now why his relationship with his father had been so strained. The year he was born, was also the year Madara had started to gain recognition as a serial-killer. For eight years solid the man had worked tirelessly to apprehend the killer, missing most opportunities to spend time with his eldest son and not being a father to his second son at all. He really didn't blame Sasuke for resenting them both.

Ibiki had spoken of the depression his father had sunk to when Madara simply vanished into thin air.

"_It destroyed him." _

Exhaling deeply, Itachi closed his eyes once more, the weight of the lives Uchiha Madara had ruined settling on his shoulders. He knew it was time to move on in life. Uchiha Madara was dead, and Itachi did not possess revival powers. Still, he knew it would be awhile before he would be able to live with the fact that this man's blood ran in his veins. His grandfather had taken both of Sakura's parents, as well as a part of the woman herself. How could he live with her after that?

"Fuck," he choked out suddenly, banging a clenched fist off the hard stone. He was so utterly confused. He was meant to feel relieved now that the case that had been hanging over him these past eight years, was finally over. But he felt empty. His mind raced with unanswered questions and unchecked possibilities. He had hardly slept since the conclusion of the investigation two weeks ago and his thoughts had refused to slow down.

His wife had been right all those weeks ago when she diagnosed him with stress, he figured then. Perhaps she was right about venting his feelings to a rock as well. He took a small breath, stretching out his hands. Opening his mouth, and closing it again, he felt stupid. He was talking to a lump of stone. It was ludicrous. But Sakura had an annoying habit of being irritatingly right. And so he tried again. This time, though, he only spoke what he felt. "I have no answers to give to you, regarding Madara," he whispered to his father's name. "I do not know why he committed such crimes, and to be perfectly honest, I don't wish to understand."

He didn't expect a reply or a sudden surge of uplifting triumph, but he took a short pause regardless. "Your work was of significant importance to the close of the case, and I must thank you for that." He took another short pause. "But that file does not condone your mistreatment of your sons."

"Especially Sasuke," he whispered, eyes lowering to watch the grass sway in the wind. "He was fragile and he needed you."

Itachi continued to speak freely, unaware of the familiar presence advancing towards him.

"I do, however, understand your actions. I know now that you loved us; but times simply took the role of fatherhood from you." Itachi took another short breath, looking up to see Koichi was still safely out of hearing distance. "I believe what I truly wanted to say was... thank you."

At that moment. He felt reprieve. It was not that his earlier feelings of helplessness had vanished, it was much more subtle. Like a small weight had been lifted. He cracked a smile at the tombstone. _She had been right._ He no longer felt uncertain thinking about his father. He was a man he did not know, yes, but he was his father. He my not have attended _every _violin recital, but he still cared. Itachi knew that now.

"I always told you to do that," he heard her small voice call through the nipping wind. He turned his head slightly to find Sakura staring back at him. She had her arms crossed over her stomach, most likely to shield her from the chilled air, but a warm smile graced her lips.

Itachi turned back to the tombstone, smirk evident on his porcelain features. "That you did."

"Did it help?" he heard her ask lightly. Her voice had gotten louder, signalling her approach.

"Very much so," he found himself whispering easily. He kept watch on the swaying trees in front of him as the rosette came into his peripheral view. From his crouched position on the ground, he couldn't quite make out her face, just her pink tresses, cascading down her back and chest. They hung lightly, looking a little dishevelled now, thanks to the wind.

A moment later, she took a seat beside him, tucking her legs underneath herself. She sighed in contentment beside him. Itachi, becoming a little uncomfortable, moved to sit properly, taking his weight off his calves. One leg bent at the knee to rest his arm on and the other stretched out in front of him. His new position was much more agreeable.

"Itachi," she began slowly. He knew she had been wanting to say something. Her mouth kept twitching and she chewed on her lip subconsciously searching for the right words. "Why didn't you tell me about my father? You were the lead operative, you would have known the minute it happened." She stopped abruptly, biting her lip, almost as if she was wishing she hadn't said anything.

Itachi found he was only able to look at her with longing eyes. How he wished to be able to reach out, hold her, comfort her. He snapped his attentions back to the tombstone in front of them. "I didn't know how to tell you," he said quietly, wanting to keep the relaxed atmosphere between the two of them. But he knew he couldn't.

From the corner of his eye, he saw her nod, only once. "Why did you not inform me of... this?" he asked, ghosting his right hand gently over her stomach. She had not yet started to show, but Itachi could feel the slight hint of a bump through her dress.

"I didn't want to distract you," she whispered, her eyes moving upwards to view her son in the near distance.

"I would not call my child a _distraction._"

Another moment of silence past between the two before Sakura spoke again. "It seems we've both been untrusting of the other, lately."

Itachi managed to look Sakura in the eye for the first time in weeks. There were as beautiful and vibrant as ever, now. He was quite pleased, even managed to crack a small smile in her direction.

"I believe you were right in your diagnosis of my condition," he said then, lightly, with an undertone of playfulness. Sakura, in return, arched an eyebrow at his remark.

"Well," she began, a small smile on her lips. "Believe it or not, I am a doctor."

His smile lowered and his gaze directed itself on the child ahead of them again. "I have arranged to take some time off work. Your recommendation was relaxation, was it not?" Sakura nodded slowly, her eyes shining from the stinging wind. "I wish to spend some time with Koichi away from this investigation." He wasn't sure if it was the location that made him decide to take leave from work, but it didn't matter. His children were his priority now.

"I'm sending Koichi back to school next week, so you're free to have him till then, if you wish."

"I was hoping," he began slowly, his eyes locking on hers again, "that we could spend it together."

Her eyes widened for a moment, but they soon creased when a tiny smile hinted on her lips. She nodded, only once, but he felt his heart tighten at the gesture.

* * *

><p><em>One Month Later<em>

She waited in the car like he had insisted. Honestly, the child was only four-years old yet he was embarrassed that his mother picked him up from school. She nodded curtly to another mother who passed by her window. She had obviously been told to wait outside too.

"Be patient. He'll be here soon," she whispered to her small bump, her hand rubbing lightly on the spot where her unborn child was kicking. He had become much more active lately, especially when she was still for too long. It made drifting off to sleep a nightmare.

Not too long later, she heard the intruding ring of the school bell, and a small crowd of kindergardeners flooded the playground. She spotted him immediately, having parked directly outside the gates. He bounded towards the grey SUV, his chin length hair was flying gently in the breeze. She had all but begged him to let her cut it, but he flat out refused. Itachi's influence, she guessed.

He threw himself into the car, shouting a greeting as he fixed his seatbelt in place.

"Ready?" she smiled, after he had finished talking.

* * *

><p>Sakura lightly drummed her fingernails on the wheel. They had been stuck in rushhour traffic for the past half hour. Living in the city, she was familiar with sitting in her car for long period of time. However, a hungry -and complaining- four-year old, along with the unyielding assault she underwent from her unborn child, did not make the process any easier. She let out a small sigh, and reached to turn on the radio. Some music usually helped the time flow faster.<p>

_".. where she was finally found, hours later. In other news this afternoon, the Commissioner General has formally announced the position of Superintendent General with the TMPD has been officially filled by Uchiha Itachi. The new Superintendent is officially the youngest in a long line-"_

Sakura smirked slightly -she would never be as great at pulling off a smirk as Itachi- when she heard the news report. She had known for a couple of weeks that Itachi had been offered the positon of Superintendent General. He had told her one evening when he arrived to pick up Koichi. He tried to appear as cool as ever, but she could see the excitement in his eyes. And he deserved it. He worked so hard and had much more experience in the field and with the politics of the job than any other agent elligable.

The reporter was drown out when Koichi's loud voice reverberated around the car. He had obviously been listening to the radio as she had, and had heard his father's name.

"Can we go see Dad?" he cried suddenly, shaking Sakura slightly from the silence she had been enjoying.

"He's at work, sweetheart," she chimed back slowly, still beating her fingernails on the wheel.

"Just for a minute? We're stuck in traffic anyway."

Sakura chewed on her lip slightly. It certainly couldn't have happened at a more opportune location; they were almost directly outside the Police Department. Even if it sounded absurd, it seemed almost planned. She chuckled softly, putting the vehicle back into gear and swerving into the parking lot beside them.

* * *

><p>She followed the young boy through the -strangely empty- corridors, until they finally reached a large office on the third floor of the building. She was glad he knew his way around, although was slightly apprehensive as to just how much time he spent here when in the care of his father. He pushed the double doors open excitedly, running into the large, open room. Sakura followed slowly, to see him jumping onto the sofa at the end of the room. She peered around the door to see that Itachi was not at his desk. Perhaps a case? Or press conference? He was Superintendent General now, after all.<p>

"Dad brought me here at the weekend," the boy smiled, standing beside her once more. "Don't tell him, but I broke the blind over there." Sakura looked up to see a corner of the Venetian blinds hung lower than the rest. She hardly thought that Itachi, would not have noticed by now. She ruffled the boys hair, a large smile gracing her lips. She gave a small wink before tearing her hand from his hair.

"This is a pleasant surprise."

She turned quickly to see Itachi standing in the doorway. His hands were in his pants pockets', and he looked extremely handsome in his dark suit. His obsidian eyes held a strange light as they locked on hers and a relaxed aura radiated from him. Her breath caught in her throat and her heart jumped furiously in her chest. She concluded that his time off had certainly worked wonders for him. He looked much more handsome than he had at the weekend.

"Hi," she managed to whisper a few minutes of staring open-mouthed at him. _Hormones, _she said to herself convincingly. Still, the way their eyes lingered on one another's made her feel strangely excited.

"We came to visit," the boy called suddenly, breaking the moment and waving his arms enthusiastically over his head. Itachi's eyes broke contact with Sakura's, to grin sheepishly at the boy who stood just below her hip.

* * *

><p>She had told herself entering the building, that the visit would be a short one. Sakura had even taken Koichi to one side in the elevator to convey that fact to him, and even after a small tantrum thrown by the boy, he had agreed. Although, only after the bribery of the boy with homemade cupcakes when they returned to their apartment.<p>

Still, after all her effort to ensure a quick and painless detour to the Superintendent General's office, she had failed with the task. Itachi had apparently just returned from, yet another, press conference and was absolutely famished. He had suggested a takeout lunch to the two visitors he found in his office, and Sakura -only partially due to Koichi's puppy-dog eyes- had agreed.

It was an easy and relaxed afternoon and even though, she found herself wanting to stay just a bit longer, the thought of several stacks of hospital paperwork piled on her small kitchen table forced Sakura to stand from her comfortable position on the chair in front of Itachi's desk. She cradled her slowly expanding stomach as she did so. She felt it starting to weigh down on her whenever she was standing from a seated position. Koichi seemed to sense their imminent departure as his earlier wide-grin slowly faded as he watched his mother fix the autumn dress she wore.

"We'd better be going, sweetheart," she called, giving a playful pout to her son. The boy bit his lip and quickly directed his gaze to his father, whom he was stood beside. Itachi frowned and Sakura knew then, that it wasn't just her who could sense what the boy was about to ask.

"Can't I stay with Dad?" he asked in a small tone, looking back at his mother. Sakura bit her lip, exhaling gently. She saw Itachi dropping his gaze from the pleading boy, and she was glad he didn't try to undermine her authority.

"Dad is busy, sweetheart." Koichi's mouth flew open, obviously full of comebacks. "And I believe you have homework to do."

"It's only maths, Mom. I can do those with my eyes closed."

"Koichi," she warned, his voice lowering and her head tilting slightly.

"I'm not busy, Sakura." Her eyes flew to Itachi's, he was looking at her once again. His expression was neutral, no hint of a smirk or arrogance. For that, she was grateful. She sighed lightly, pursing her lips as she gave it some though. It would be nice to get some of that paperwork done without having to entertain a four-year old. And if Itachi wasn't busy... what was the harm?

She looked back at Koichi to see him holding his breath and biting his lip in anticipation. She gave him a small smile, wrinkling her nose in the process, as he did often. "I suppose," she said gently with feigned annoyance.

"Yes!" he called, jumping into Itachi's lap. His father looked just as content as the boy did, chuckling lightly at the boys thrashing.

"I have some work to catch up on," Sakura said when she caught Itachi's attention again. She was definitely not lying. The last couple of months had been very difficult and so she hadn't been to the hospital -save for her own brief stay- since before Itachi's 'accident'. So it came as no surprise, that when she returned to work at the start of the week, she had mountains of paperwork piled haphazardly on her desk.

Itachi gave a single nod at her admission, but she noticed how his eyes narrowed when she started to collect the empty takeout boxes from his desk.

"Koichi, I believe the rest of the team will be back from lunch now. Why don't you go down to the coffee room to see Kakashi; he's been wanting to see you since he got back." The young boy's smile lit up once more and it wasn't long before he yelled 'goodbye' to Sakura before bounding out the door.

Itachi stood up then, grabbing the few boxes of takeout Sakura had yet to collect; even grabbed the few stray noodles Koichi had managed to drop on the polished, mahogany desk. Sakura watched him -with a small smile on her face- as he took the litter from her hands to take it all to the small bin, hidden behind a potted plant in the corner.

"I'd better get going," she whispered to him. She knew he'd hear as he only stood a couple of metres away from her. Walking to the large, double doors, she heard him clear his throat. She froze, feeling slightly awkward. Itachi had an annoying habit of clearing his throat before he spoke aout something important. She had first noticed it before he proposed to her, but of course, the romance of the moment prevented her from investigating the strange practice.

She broke away from the found memory, when she felt him approach her. She turned slowly, still standing in the doorway.

"Sakura," he called eagerly, making sure she didn't walk out the door. "I just wanted to inquire as to how you were feeling?"

Her eyes widened slightly, taken aback by his low voice and caring tone. "I'm fine," she said sheepishly, pushing a lock of hair behind her ear. "I actually have a scan to attend next Wednesday if you want to come."

"I'd very much like that."

"Great," she called, taking a small step to her left, once more trying to leave the office. But he obviously wasn't finished as he gently latched onto her elbow, making her turn back to face him. Her eyes narrowed slightly, focusing on his restless looking expression.

His lips twitched slightly. Sakura could tell he was trying to find the words he wished to say, but was having some difficulty. "If there is anything I can help you with, Sakura, please don't hesitate to ask. All you have to do is speak the words."

Sakura's mouth opened in shock. She had not expected _those_ words. She knew he would do everything in his power to make their situation as easy as possible, but hearing him reassure her, made her eyes sting slightly. _Hormones, _she reminded herself once more. Still, it took all her power not to act on impulse and embrace him.

"Thank you," she spoke gently, folding her arms over her chest and casting her gaze down at the ground. A small smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. The baby decided then, that he was bored. He was obviously Itachi's child, being restless already with still four months left to spend in his temporary home. Her arms disentangled and one hand, subconsciously, patted the spot where her child was assaulted her. She noticed Itachi tense and looked up to see a perplexed look covering his face. She giggled slightly, but then realised he had never felt their second child kicking. He had only started this practice a couple of weeks ago and never when his father was around. She reached out with her free hand to grab his much larger one and placed on her stomach. His eyes held a a certain are of astonishment when they rose from her protruding stomach to meet hers. She smiled again, totally lost in the emotional moment.

"Itachi," she said lightly, still unsure as to why she had called him, but knowing full well she wanted to say something to him during the small intimate moment they were sharing. He met her gaze, waiting for her to continue, but she couldn't, her own words failing her.

It was only weeks ago, when her grief and anguish was overwhelming, her tears never-ending that Sakura felt absolute hatred for the men that had caused those feelings. Being the kind-at-heart person she was, a doctor, Sakura had never wished death upon any person before. That was, until the day Uchiha Madara was named at the man who killed both her parents. She had wished for nothing more, as the tears streamed down her face, that Madara, Orochimaru and Kabuto had never been born. They had given her nothing but agony for most of her life and they didn't even seem to know who she was, save for some girl to use as a way of hurting Itachi. It stung like nothing in her life. Even the pain of giving birth to her son couldn't compare to the feelings that overtook her when she became an orphan.

But – there is always a 'but'- if it weren't for these men she would never have met her husband. Without Madara, there would be no Itachi. Without Orochimaru she would never of had the opportunity to meet the man. And without Kabuto, she never would have known how deep her feelings for Itachi ran.

As much as she hated it, her life was shaped irreversibly by these people she detested. Strangely, it was moulded for the better. She couldn't imagine life without having met Itachi. She couldn't even stand the idea of not having Koichi by her side everyday. As much as she hated to admit, she was peculiarly glad that her life hadn't played out any other way. Yes, the murdering of her parents, she wished had never occurred; but otherwise, Sakura was content with the outcome of her life.

The past eight ears had been something of a weight, as strange as it was to say it. But for the past month, she felt a freedom she hadn't felt in a long time. It was refreshing, and it was most welcome.

Life was good again. Itachi had finally been given the job he had been deserving of for many years. Koichi was happier and was less opposed to the idea of their separation and was more settled, especially in his academic life. He was doing immensely well in school, (even if he was only in kindergarden).

As for herself, Sakura was content. She felt safer in her home ad had the time to enjoy herself without worrying about who was following her. She could appreciate spending time with her friends and even relished going into work in the mornings. Not that she would be enjoying that habit for long. The child growing in her uterus would soon be emerging and work would be far from her mind. Though, she didn't mind, she was giddy with excitement at the prospect of being a mother again. Everything seemed perfect right at that moment.

Itachi's thumb had started to stroke her stomach, where their child was still kicking. She suddenly felt compelled to inform Itachi of the sex of their child. She herself had found out when Tsunade accidentally told her that 'he' was going to be just fine after Madara had injected her with Temazepam. She knew the man would be just as delighted as she, at the prospect of another son joining their family. However, she didn't want to interrupt the moment. And that moment was something special.

She looked up to see the older of them was still looking at her, waiting for her to continue where she had left off moments earlier. She smiled at him, placing her own hand over his. "Nevermind," she whispered, looking back to their joined hands.

Maybe she had one more issue to resolve before perfection would be achieved...

* * *

><p><strong>End.<br>**

* * *

><p>Made the mistake of listening to <em>Scala and Kolacny Bros cover of 'With or Without You' <em>while writing the end_._I'm actually on the verge of tears! Don't do it! :P

I want to thank every, single person who has ever left a review, or put 'Synthesis' on alerts or favourites. It meant so much to me over these past four or five months. Your support has been phenomenal and kept me going, even through the difficult chapters.

Not sure what else I can say, actually. I'm a little emotional to be finally writing the last A/N of the story that has been my baby for all these months.

Oh, do put me on 'author alert' as you never know when a sequel will make it's way into the ItaSaku filter. ;)

Other than that, again, thank you!  
>All my love.<br>xx


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